Navigating Crisis: A Crowdsourced Guide to Supporting Impacted Employees Amidst Global Unrest

Oct 11

In a globalized world, crises across continents reverberate through our organizations.

How we show up for our employees, customers, and communities matters.

Earlier today, we brought together members of the Amplify Talent Community to share their experiences, challenges, questions, suggestions, and resources to help navigate the current crisis in the Middle East.

The following post is a summary of some of the strategic and tactical suggestions they shared to ensure the well-being and support of their team members during tumultuous times.

It is open-sourced with permission in case any of these suggestions are helpful to the HR community as we navigate the days ahead.

Section 1: Individual Initiatives

Broaden Your Horizon: Diversify your media consumption to grasp a well-rounded understanding of global events and their implications.
Cultivate Compassion: Engage in balanced dialogues, recognizing the readiness and comfort levels of others in discussing sensitive topics.

Section 2: Business Communications

Reflect and Align: Assess your external communications through the lens of your organizational values. Pose the quintessential question: 'What is our role and purpose?' Ensure your messaging aligns with your ethos and supports employee well-being.

Section 3: Strategic Support for Impacted Employees

Crisis Response Revamp: Revisit and refine your global crisis response processes for enhanced readiness, adapting to the evolving geopolitical landscape.
Travel Monitoring Partnership: Collaborate with your internal travel team to ensure personalized support for employees traveling to/from affected regions.

Section 4: Tactical Support for Impacted Employees

Language Sensitivity: Be inclusive in your communication, mindful of the language that may alienate or reassure.
Deliver Care Packages: Where feasible, send food packages to employees and their families, a gesture of care that transcends borders.
Relocation Offer: Explore relocation options for eligible employees and dependents, considering local constraints and safety, and military draft policies.
Localized Check-Ins: Conduct weekly check-in calls in Hebrew to maintain a support network for your teams in the region.
Mental Health Resources: Provide accessible mental health support in both English, Hebrew, and Arabic to cater to the emotional well-being of your employees.
Essential Supplies: Send battery packs and mobile hotspots to ensure continuous communication and access to resources.
Financial Assistance: Some Credit card companies are restricting access to funds due to fraud in the region. Address financial constraints by offering short-term financial assistance, especially if regional conditions restrict access to funds.
Childcare and Schooling: Schools will be closed for the time being. Consider offering support on education resources and activities for your employees who are parents.
Leadership Stand-Up Calls: Host daily stand-up calls with c-suite, local leadership, and local teams to foster a support structure and keep everyone abreast of key developments.
Real-Time Update Channel: Create a dedicated Slack channel for real-time updates and support, fostering a virtual community of support.

Section 5: External Resources

Tap into a range of external resources to further equip yourself and your organization in navigating the crisis while supporting your employees. From understanding the broader context to exploring ways to support employees during crises, these resources serve as a springboard for informed action.

We hope you find these resources helpful.

As you navigate your business and employees through these tumultuous times, be sure to lean on your communities of practitioners for support where and when you need it.

Hang in there, friends.

Lars Schmidt