Because PIA designs and manufacturers complex equipment, themanufacturing must be done at company facilities. (PIA CourtesyPhoto)

Running an essential business during a pandemic brings with it ahost of new issues and challenges. However, when workers can bekept safe from COVID-19, there are certainly upsides to keepingworkers on the job and doing business, if not as usual, then atleast at a level that many companies would love to see.

Since the pandemic hit this country, PIA Automation US, part ofa larger, German-owned business, has increased production at itsEvansville, Indiana, facility. The PIA plant makes machines thatmanufacture medical supplies such as masks, and according to StaceyGilles, director of human resources, the pandemic has her companyscrambling to meet demand. One upside, says Gilles, is the feelingof contributing to the greater good.

"Our employees are working extra hours," she says. "We havefolks working overtime to meet the need from the medical industry.But I think it's a bit of a morale boost, too, because they knowthe work they're doing is benefiting other people."

As an HR manager, Gilles is overseeing a workforce that mustincrease production, while dealing with issues such as workingremotely, practicing social distancing, and facing family stresses(such as kids at home while schools remain closed) that are new andunique, at least in degree. Gilles says her company is relying ongood communication with employees as an important tool for HRmanagement.

Town halls lead to useful feedback

One of the main features of PIA's approach to the new normal isto emphasize dialogue with employees. Gilles points to thecompany's town hall meetings—already a regular feature forcommunicating and getting feedback—as a great way to answerquestions that employees have.

"The town halls have really helped a lot. We've been verytransparent and candid with people," Gilles says, noting that thetown halls take safety precautions such as social distancing andencouraging participation through Skype.

The company, which has 85 employees at its Evansville plant, hastaken employee suggestions on how to keep workspaces safer, such askeeping doors open to increase ventilation. "Our employees havebeen very receptive to the changes that we have made; they give usfeedback and ideas, too," Gilles notes. "I think that goes a longway, because it feels like a partnership."

The meetings are important at a time when business practiceshave changed and employees have a lot of questions, Gilles says."The biggest challenges are people asking questions that you can'tanswer because you don't know yet."

Gilles says her HR department tries to find answers to employeequestions from reliable governmental sources. "We have primarilyrelied on the CDC, because they are reputable, and people trustthem. And the governor of our state has a videoconference everyday. Those are our two main sources of information."

Working remotely is a work in progress

Gilles says the company is trying to expand its ability to haveemployees work remotely, but challenges remain. Because PIA designsand manufacturers complex equipment, the manufacturing must be doneat company facilities. Even the mechanical design work requirescomputing capabilities that most people don't have on their homedesktops or laptops. "I could see the possibility of 65 percent ofour people working from home, but that would be challenging,"Gilles says. "A more comfortable number would probably be 25percent to 30 percent."

The relatively sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has led to manyindustries experiencing a sharp learning curve when it comes toworking remotely. A recent poll found that many in the public andeducation sectors were also not well set up for a switch to remotework. The report, by consulting company NEOGOV, found that 62percent of public sector organizations said they were somewhatprepared to manage employees working remotely; 4 percent said theywere not prepared at all, 14 percent said they were not veryprepared, and 21 percent describe their organizations as veryprepared.

Another impact of the pandemic has been on new hires: 46 percentof public sector groups paused some of their hiring, and 22 percentstopped hiring new employees altogether. A separate trackingreport, LinkedIn's Workforce Report for April, found a sharpdecline in hiring in the U.S., with a 1.3 percent drop in hiringbetween March and February.

Gilles says that her company decided that despite the need toincrease production, it's not a good time to bring new people in."We have not hired, because of the challenge of going through theinterview process and bringing new people onsite. We want to becareful," she says. "It is in our plans to hire, but that's a monthor two out; we're limiting visitors in the building right now."

Maintaining morale by building trust

According to Gilles, her company recognizes that workers areunder stress, and encourages them to give feedback or ask questionsprivately, in addition to the town hall feedback. "We really have afocus on flexibility right now," she says. "For example, if youfeel kind of sick but you're not sure, stay home. If you can't geta note from the doctor because they're swamped, that's fine, we'llexcuse it. It's a lot of, 'we trust you, let's work as a team.'It's about what we can do to keep everybody safe."

Gilles says that in return, she feels employees are not takingadvantage of that consideration. "I think most people want to behere; they want to keep busy; they like the fact that we're makingmachines to make the masks," she says. "I've had very lowabsenteeism."

The company also has had few problems with families who haveschool-age children at home, Gilles says, with most employees beingable to take turns with partners on parenting during work hours. "Ihave some folks who may work from home a few days a week, and thenare catching up when they come in.

"Our world feels quasi-normal," she adds. "We've had good buy-infrom employees." Overall, Gilles says, the transparency andcooperation that have marked the company's interaction withemployees have given it a good start in weathering the storm. "Whenyou involve employees as much as possible, it really feels like ateam that is working together to keep people safe, rather than justworrying and wondering what's going on."