Reducing Fear & Anxiety in the Age of COVID-19

Our team is excited to share an initiative we’ve been working on to combat fear and anxiety related to working or operating a business during COVID-19, and building a trust factor in the process. We believe it’s our responsibility as the most reliable staffing solution in the market to emphasize health & safety within our labor marketplace. That’s why we’ve launched the SnapShyft COVID SAFE Program in an effort to guide businesses & professionals that use our platform.

We know that transparency & accountability are core reasons why people trust in SnapShyft and becomes even more important in light of the ongoing issues due to COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of transparency and a disregard for health mandates has driven fear & hesitation. Part of this program is designed to help affirm staff are healthy & help workers feel comfortable working:

1. Businesses declare they adhere to health guidelines & mandates; including masks, gloves, temperature checks for staff, & sanitation/cleanliness of venue/facilities; and
2. Workers declare they’re healthy— zero exposure, no symptoms, and adhere to health guidelines & mandates

Now both businesses and workers can have peace of mind that we are taking proactive measures to connect healthy essential workers to the essential businesses putting the health & safety of their guests and their staff first and foremost.

There’s something to be said about having ‘peace of mind’

Our newly launched health & safety feature is built right into the SnapShyft Labor Marketplace experience. This feature kicks in when a business posts an open work opportunity, as well as for the workers before they can accept and work any shift.

• Workers feel safer to perform a job; and
• Businesses feel safer operating with healthy staff

This important trust factor was driven by our customers and the tens of thousands of Shyfters on the platform facing fear and anxiety, hindering success. And this is our approach to mitigating risk and fear, while putting an emphasis on safety from what it is we are all going through.

Some insightful validation points for introducing this program, pulled from the latest McKinsey Consumer Sentiment Report show when deciding where to spend their dollars out-of-home/in-person, 78% of consumers state masks & barriers, sanitation & cleanliness, staff wellness checks, and physical distancing are properly & consistently enforced as top deciding factors.

• 34% of consumers list masks and barriers as a top priority; customers and staff wearing masks and gloves
• 23% list increased cleaning & sanitation; improved air filtration, availability of sanitation supplies
• 9% health checks as top factor— employee wellness checks
• 12% cite physical distancing; capacity imitations, distance between customers, staff behavior

Additionally—

• 50% of US consumers WILL NOT engage in dining out at restaurants or bars until government restrictions are lifted AND these businesses show they are taking proper safety measures.
• What’s more, when deciding where to spend their dollars out-of-home/in-person, 78% of consumers state masks & barriers, sanitation & cleanliness, staff wellness checks, and physical distancing are properly & consistently enforced as top deciding factors.

Key take-away: Putting the health & safety of staff and guests as the top priority makes solid business sense. *even if it is not “mandated by the government”.

Further insights from the report—

• In 2020, younger generations are driven by the behavior of a business, namely how they treat their staff; while older generations (boomers and up) are most concerned about overall health/safety precautions.
• Although most optimistic about economic recovery, the higher income earners classify the aforementioned as their top concerns.
• Women are most concerned about out-of-home activities, and of course women drive 80% of all consumer purchase decisions
• 25% are spending more at businesses based on how they treat their staff
• 23% will spend more for healthy and hygienic packaging
• 68% of consumers are still waiting for certain milestones before they engage in out-of-home activities. And over 1/3 plan to ONLY leave home for shopping and/or work related activities
• 70% intend to continue their new at-home centric routine until the crisis is resolved

There is much more to unpack from the report, but in short, businesses can better position themselves by adhering to rules and regulations or even going above and beyond local mandates to set the example. This will go a long way towards bolstering trust in your brand, your staff, and your guests.

Wash your hands, wear your masks, and be empathetic towards your neighbors.