Is your work productivity impaired?

Are there actions you do after work that affect the bottom-line of your organization?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control; in 2010 alcohol cost $77 billion in impaired productivity. If you add absenteeism and other factors the total loss in American productivity from excess drinking was $90 billion. Another very important fact is that this does not include alcohol related employee deaths.

The alcohol related employee deaths impact both the organization from loss of key employees, but also impacts the other employees. It is the impact on the other employees that I want to address with this blog.

What do you do when the death of a close business associate occurs?

• If the death is in the workplace select one person to contact the family and stay in contact with the family.
• Realize that all the staff will need time and space to grieve.
• Owners/managers need to find appropriate ways to deal with this hole in the workplace.
• Give time off to those that want to attend the funeral service.
• Be patient with each other and understand that business is not going to be the same for some time.
• Provide your staff with access to counselors.
• Make sure you make all the staff aware that each person grieves in a different way.
• Never rush into hiring a replacement.
• Above all offer sincere condolences to the family.

Are you prepared for this challenge in your business?

What can you do to help prepare for this?