By Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD

The COVID-19 pandemic has entered a new phase. We’ve flattened the curve. People are returning to work. Now our employees want to know what comes next. Will they be safe? Has the organization changed? What can they expect from the future?

As leaders, we need to deliver clear, accurate and concise answers to these questions. We owe it to our employees and those they serve. Communication has never been more important. Honesty and transparency are essential. It’s time to share information, not to withhold it. We are all on the same team now. Not only within our organizations, but in our broader industries and communities.

At Cleveland Clinic, we made it a point to send a communication to every caregiver, every day, beginning in the early weeks of the pandemic. Each communication had relevant COVID-19 statistics and other information they needed to know to support our accelerated response. With every message, we expressed our support and gratitude for their dedicated service to our organization and communities.

Don’t forget to tell your people how much you appreciate them. Assure them of the continuity of your mission, vision and values.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in America’s workforce, whatever they do. As we begin to transition to the world’s “new normal,” there are many new health and safety issues to consider. To help ease this transition, Cleveland Clinic recently launched a COVID-19 website for employers. I urge you to visit our Creating a Safe Workplace site, which offers expert insight and resources for safely resuming operations.

We have launched a free series of weekly webinars to help guide employers on topics ranging from infection prevention to employee resiliency in the era of COVID-19.  Join the invite list and sign up for COVID-19 updates on the new site.