June 26, 2020: The COVID Guide to People Management

June 26, 2020

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Pandemic people management

With businesses now in operational mode throughout the country, we’re turning our attention towards the practicalities of actually running a business during a pandemic. This week’s focus: people management. Here’s a non-exhaustive primer on what you need to know about hiring, firing, and paying employees right now: 

• Hiring: Getting interviewing and onboarding right when your team may be working remotely is more important than ever. 
  • How to do a productive remote interview 
  • How to make remote onboarding suck less 
  • (BONUS!) Gusto’s new hiring and onboarding tools to help the quarantine economy
• Firing: If you’re thinking about downsizing your business, you need to consider both who you’re going to let go and how you’re going to do it. 
  • How to decide whether to furlough or layoff an employee
  • What to say when you need to lay someone off 
• Paying your team: Many on your team may have taken this opportunity to move to a different state, making payroll more difficult than it was pre-pandemic. 
  • A beginner’s guide to paying remote employees and contractors

PSA: PPP deadline reminder

We’re broken records. The PPP application deadline is June 30. Get your application in if you haven’t already done so. Also, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about the PPP for self-employed folks. So here’s an extremely comprehensive guide by a CPA who has helped dozens get the loan.

Our top relief options for the week:

• Wells Fargo Foundation – LA County 
  • The Wells Fargo Foundation has pledged $9 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts throughout LA County.
  • More information
• New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF)
  • The New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF) is aimed at supporting New York State small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak. The NYFLF targets the state’s small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees (90% of all businesses), nonprofits and small landlords that have seen a loss of rental income. The NYFLF is specifically timed to support businesses and organizations as they proceed to reopen and have upfront expenses to comply with guidelines (e.g., inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines) under the New York Forward Plan.   
  • More information
• Honeywell and Charlotte’s Center City
  • Honeywell and Center City Partners announced the creation of the Center City Small Business Innovation Fund, which is launching with an initial investment of $2 million from Honeywell and in partnership with Foundation For The Carolinas. The fund will provide grants of up to $40,000 to small businesses within Charlotte’s Center City. Priority will be shown to minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
  • More information
• See more relief options in our small business relief finder. 

On our radar

• For Small Businesses, It’s All About the Pivot (New York Times) 
• PPP Isn’t Enough for Small Businesses of Color (Bloomberg)
• Small Businesses Raced to Spend PPP funds, but COVID-19 Pandemic Drags On (Wall Street Journal) 

Want more small business news and resources? Check out past editions in our archive.