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COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance: What It Is and Who Can Apply

by Ilyce Glink | Jul 9, 2020 | Blog

COVID-19 pandemic unemployment assistance. As more Americans lose their jobs due to COVID-19 layoffs, pandemic unemployment assistance may help.

When the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was approved by Congress in late March, one of its most important initiatives was the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA has played a crucial role in financially assisting workers whose jobs have been affected by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

During this pandemic, the economy is undeniably suffering with about one million Americans filing first-time unemployment claims every week. Since the PUA can be a critical resource for Americans in need, we’ve broken down who it helps, how much your employees could possibly receive, and the process of applying.

Note that PUA access will vary based on which state your employees reside in. They can contact their state’s labor department to learn more about their individual situation.

Q: What is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and What Does It Provide?

A: PUA is a form of government aid designed to increase access to unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of PUA is to expand who is able to receive unemployment assistance, extend the weeks that workers can receive aid and, in specific cases, increase the amount of money given to recipients.

Under the CARES Act, states are allowed to extend unemployment benefits by up to 13 weeks under the new Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. PEUC benefits are available for weeks of unemployment beginning after the state implements the new program and ending on or before December 31, 2020.

Q: Who Is Eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: The majority of Americans who have lost employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to receive PUA. According to the CARES Act, employees usually qualify if:

Employees are sick with COVID-19 or have been exposed to the Coronavirus and are unable work
Employees have to care for anyone in their immediate family who has contracted the Coronavirus and are unable work

Employees also potentially qualify if they are prevented from working because of a quarantine, or if they are in a high-risk group and a medical professional has recommended that they self-quarantine. However, employees are likely ineligible for PUA if they are able to work remotely and continue to receive a paycheck from their employers.

Q: Do Self-Employed People Qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: Typically yes, but PUA access differs by state. In most states, as long as employees are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits and are unable to work because of COVID-19, they generally qualify for PUA.

For self-employed workers and independent contractors, PUA offers up to 39 weeks of benefits, some of which may be available retroactively starting with weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 27, 2020, and ending on or before December 31, 2020. The amount of aid self-employed individuals can receive varies state by state and is based on prior benefit amounts delineated by their state’s unemployment laws.

Q: Do Gig Economy Workers Qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: Generally, yes. Again, it varies by state, so employees need to check with their state’s labor department for information on their individual situation.

The CARES Act says that gig economy workers — rideshare drivers, food and grocery delivery workers, etc. — potentially qualify for PUA if they cannot work because of the pandemic. For example, if a gig economy worker is unable to work after contracting COVID-19 or after developing complications after recovering from COVID-19, they might qualify for PUA.

They may also qualify if they lose the majority of their customers due to government-recommended social distancing or if municipal orders restrict movement in a way that makes their business unsustainable.

Q: How Do Employees Apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: Employees can file a claim with their state’s unemployment insurance program as soon as they become unemployed. Each state will have a specific process to determine who can receive PUA. Some states will have employees file a regular unemployment claim first, while others will have them make a PUA-specific claim first.

Note that employees can file a claim in any state they have worked, which can be done over the phone, online or in person, depending on the state. Since PUA benefits are different in every state, it’s worth looking into the aid each state offers when deciding where to file a claim. If employees are going to file for unemployment benefits in a state that’s different from where they live, they’ll need to contact the unemployment agency in their home state to find out how.

Additionally, it’s important employees fill out their claims carefully because errors might delay the process and prevent them from receiving their benefits on time.

Q: How Much Money Will Employees Receive from Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: Employees’ PUA benefits are calculated using many factors, including how much money they used to earn when working and the unemployment insurance laws of the state where they reside. For example, the minimum amount employees can receive weekly in Alabama is $114, whereas in Hawaii it’s $263.

However, if employees qualify for PUA, they are guaranteed a weekly benefit of $600 from the federal government as part of the CARES Act. Regardless of how much employees end up receiving from their state, they will receive this $600 in addition to their state benefits. These unemployment benefits are still subject to federal income taxes and most state income taxes.

Q: When Will Employees Receive Their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: It will vary by state. Since states are overwhelmed with so many people filing for unemployment, anticipate a delay.

Q: Can Employees Quit Their Jobs to Get Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

A: Most likely no. PUA is meant to provide assistance to Americans who have lost their job through no fault of their own. If employees intentionally quit their jobs in order to receive PUA (or any unemployment benefits), it is considered fraud.

However, the CARES Act states that employees might still qualify if they quit for a reason directly tied to COVID-19. While this does not include resigning because they’re afraid of contracting COVID-19 at work, it might cover resigning because a medical professional has determined they are a high-risk individual and should self-quarantine. Employees can also file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) if they think their employer is not adhering to the standards determined by OSHA.

Additionally, the CARES Act says that anyone who receives regular unemployment compensation must accept any offer of suitable employment. For example, if employees were furloughed when their place of employment closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they typically have to go back to work as soon as their employer reopens. If they don’t, it could lead to a termination of the PUA benefits they were receiving.

If your employees have lost work due to COVID-19, PUA can potentially provide some financial relief. PUA varies state by state, so have them check with their state about how they are implementing PUA. Employees can find the contact information for their state unemployment insurance office here.

Top 10 Employee Benefits for 2021

by LizStevens | Jul 8, 2020 | Blog

Top 10 employee benefits for 2021. HR trends forecast the most desired employee benefits for 2021 like financial wellness programs and flexible work arrangements.

UPDATE, read 4 Top Benefits Trends for 2022

It’s time for employers to start planning their employee benefits packages for 2021.

The coronavirus pandemic has presented significant challenges for employers and highlighted the unprecedented levels of stress employees face in their everyday lives. But what can employers do to help?

Employers who focus on what employees need to achieve a healthy work-life balance and lower stress will be the ones who come out strongest.

Top 10 Employee Benefits for 2021

#1 Financial Wellness Programs

The negative impact that financial stress has on an employee’s ability to get work done has been well documented in recent years but the coronavirus pandemic drove home just how important it is to have access to financial tools, resources and advice especially during uncertain times.

The best financial wellness programs, like Best Money Moves, recognize that every worker experiences different kinds of financial stress and harnesses machine learning to guide employees to the information they need most.

Best Money Moves has tools and features that help employees measure their financial stress, budget for monthly expenses, pay down debt and plan for emergencies. Employees can talk to trained professional financial counselors and educate themselves about everything from investing to co-signing loans to buying their first homes with access to a library of over 700 articles, videos and calculators. It’s also gamified, featuring a point-based rewards system where users earn points every time they log in, enter their information into their profile, work with their budgets, read articles and measure their stress. Each point translates into a chance to win a monthly contest.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company download our whitepapers and sign up for a demonstration here.

#2 Flexible Work Arrangements

Employees who were used to commuting to the office every day suddenly found themselves setting up spaces to get their work done at home. It might have been a rough transition at first, but after a few months of getting settled employees now want to hold onto some of that flexibility when they get back to the workplace. According to a survey by Glassdoor, more than 60 percent of employees would have liked to continue working from home full-time even after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted if given the option and just as many would consider applying for a position that is entirely remote when looking for a new job.

#3 Health Insurance Benefits

Most employees (56 percent) have used a credit card to pay for medical care at some time in their lives and more than half of them still owe money because of that decision, according to research by CompareCards. Nearly 60 percent said they wouldn’t have been able to afford the cost of care otherwise.

Employers who don’t offer health insurance might want to reconsider and employers who do should audit their healthcare offerings to determine the out of pocket costs of deductibles, prescriptions, copays and then work with benefits brokers to provide better coverage.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are other ways employers can help address the high cost of healthcare and employees indicated programs like HSAs and FSAs would have eased stress and improved their well-being during the coronavirus pandemic in a survey by MetLife.

#4 Paid Time Off

Over 75 percent of employees live paycheck to paycheck. Workers who live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have any paid time off through their employer struggle to take time off, for any reason. Employees can’t perform at their best and aren’t as productive when they’re ill, overworked or distracted because they’re missing something important in their personal life.

Many states have passed legislation requiring employers to provide some form of paid medical and family leave, but surprisingly, some states like Maine and counties like Bernalillo, NM are also passing laws mandating paid time off for any reason.

#5 Mental Health Benefits

Roughly 1 in 4 employees have been diagnosed with depression and 40 percent of them take an average of 10 days off from work each year because of their mental illness, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Nearly 60 percent of employees struggling with mental health said their employer doesn’t offer mental health programs that meet their needs, or that the programs they do offer are too difficult to access or understand, according to a survey by MetLife.

It’s important to have mental health benefits that are easy for employees to access and understand, but employees might not use them if employers don’t also work to reduce the stigma that there’s something wrong with being depressed, anxious or struggling with a mental illness.

#6 Family-Friendly Employee Benefits

Employee benefits for family planning and for new parents have been on the rise in recent years with programs emerging to cover the costs for treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing or harvesting. Significant expansions have also been made to paid and unpaid maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

While progress has been made for parents at work in many areas, child care is still lagging. Both parents are employed in more than 60 percent of American families, yet only 6 percent of companies offer child care benefits, according to research by Clutch. Another study, by New America’s Better Life Lab and Care.com, found that the average annual cost of full-time center-based child care ($9,589) is more expensive than in-state college tuition ($9,410). In order to offset the high costs of child care, more employers are starting to provide resource and referral services for childcare, on-site or near-site childcare and childcare subsidies.

#7 Professional Development Benefits

In recent years, employers have been providing more professional development opportunities, including cross-training to develop skills not directly related to the job, executive or leadership coaching, formal mentoring or career coaching to employees, according to research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Employees want to move forward in their careers and offering benefits that give them the opportunity to hone their skills and stay on top of industry changes are a win-win for employers.

#8 Student Loan Employee Benefits

Benefits brokers have developed solutions to help employees who are struggling to pay down their share of the more than $1.6 trillion in student loan debt and more employers are starting to adopt them as a tool to attract and retain younger employees. The number of employers offering student loan repayment assistance jumped from just 3 percent in 2015 to 8 percent in 2019. Other programs employers offer include undergraduate or graduate tuition assistance, 529 plan payroll deductions, scholarships for members of employees’ families and employer contribution or matches to 529 plans.

#9 Pet-Friendly Employee Benefits

Benefits for pet owners, affectionately dubbed pet-perks, have been growing in popularity. Animals can help reduce stress and loneliness, which explains why many animal shelters had a record number of adoptions occur when people were under orders to stay-at-home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pet perks include allowing employees to bring pets to work, offering pet insurance or paid time off for new pet owners.

#10 Social Responsibility Benefits

Employees want to work for employers who give back to their community and care about important social issues like racism and climate change. Lily Zheng, writing for the Harvard Business Review says that we’re entering the Age of Corporate Social Justice and that research shows companies with strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, which include social issue marketing, philanthropic efforts, employee volunteer initiatives, and diversity and inclusion work are more profitable than those that don’t.

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Employees

by LizStevens | Jun 24, 2020 | Blog

Financial impact of COVID-19 on employees. Financial stress is high and employees are worried about healthcare costs, everyday expenses and how the pandemic will impact their retirement.

An astounding 10 percent of employees exhausted their emergency savings within the first two weeks of the pandemic, according to research by Edelman Financial Engines. Just one month into the crisis, almost a third of employees had depleted their emergency funds and stopped contributing to their retirement accounts.

“Large numbers of American workers are suffering financially, and their plight is likely to linger even after the economy begins to recover,” said Kelly O’Donnell, Executive Vice President at Edelman Financial Engines and head of the firm’s workplace business.

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Employees

Retirement

Most employees (52 percent) are concerned about the value of their retirement savings or other investment accounts. More than 25 percent of workers have already dipped into their retirement or plan to do so soon, according to research by Bankrate. Another survey by TD Ameritrade found that over 70 percent of employees expect the pandemic to impact their senior years and more than 20 percent believe that impact will likely be severe.

Emergency Savings

Over 60 percent of employees wouldn’t be able to come up with $2,000 within 30 days for an emergency. Thirty percent would need to make sacrifices to come up with $2,000, 14 percent would have to do something drastic to raise the money and 10 percent wouldn’t be able to find the funds anywhere.

Debts and Everyday Expenses

More than half of mortgage loan and auto loan borrowers are concerned about making payments in the next few months and employees are increasingly turning to credit cards to cover everyday expenses like groceries and takeout.

Many lenders are offering some form of COVID-19 relief, most commonly forbearance, which allows employees to temporarily stop making payments on debts or make reduced payments for a certain period of time. It can alleviate some financial stress in the short term, but employees should keep in mind that the same amount of money is owed once forbearance ends and they may need to make additional payments to catch up.

According to research by Capital One and The Decision Lab, the more financially stressed employees are, the less likely they are to make smart decisions when it comes to spending and saving, which helps explain why nearly 70 percent of employees made an online purchase specifically to cope with the stress of the pandemic.

How Financial Wellness Programs Can Help Employees Get Back on Track

Nearly 40 percent of workers told Edelman Financial Engines that they could benefit from financial advice during the pandemic.

“Companies that give workers better access to financial advice can help alleviate their employees’ financial stress, leading to increased productivity, lower turnover and reduced absenteeism,” O’Donnell said.

Research by Bank of America found that 91 percent of employees who participate in financial wellness programs say those resources have helped them. And, 95 percent of employers who offer those programs agree that these support systems have been effective in reaching their company’s goals.

Financial wellness programs, like Best Money Moves, provide the guidance, tools, and support employees need to reduce their financial stress.

Best Money Moves is also gamified, featuring a point-based rewards system where users earn points every time they log in, enter their information into their profile, work with their budgets, read articles and measure their stress. Each point translates into a chance to win a monthly contest.

If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company download our whitepapers and sign up for a demonstration here.

How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

by LizStevens | Jun 16, 2020 | Blog

How to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. New research on diversity and inclusion initiatives and how they can lead to higher profitability.

The U.S. Supreme Court made a historic ruling this week when they ruled that Title VII protections extend to LGBTQ employees.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin — and now sexual orientation and gender identity.

“In Title VII, Congress adopted broad language making it illegal for an employer to rely on an employee’s sex when deciding to fire that employee,” Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority. “We do not hesitate to recognize today a necessary consequence of that legislative choice: An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”

The landmark ruling, ongoing protests against systemic racism and the increasing importance of brand accountability to employees and consumers alike all call for employers to make diversity and inclusion initiatives a priority.

How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

A new report by McKinsey & Company “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters” identifies actions and practices that companies can take to build towards more diverse representation and foster a more inclusive workplace:

1. Adopt a Systemic, Business-Led Approach to Diversity and Inclusion.

- Increase diverse representation, particularly in leadership and critical roles.
- Strengthen leadership and accountability for delivering on diversity and inclusion goals.

2. Take Bold Steps to Strengthen Inclusion.

- Enable equality of opportunity through fairness and transparency.
- Promote openness, tackling bias and discrimination.
- Foster belonging through support for multivariate diversity.

The report expands on each point with different strategies companies can put in place. For example, when it comes to promoting openness and tackling discrimination, McKinsey & Company notes that companies who have met diversity and inclusion goals have zero-tolerance policies for discriminatory behaviors and have actively built the ability of both managers and junior staff to identify, surface and address microaggressions.

What Are the Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives?

According to McKinsey & Company, the business case for diversity and inclusion is stronger than ever. They found that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies in the fourth quartile. Similarly, in the case of ethnic and cultural diversity, companies in the top quartile outperformed those in the fourth by 36 percent in terms of profitability.

They’ve also identified a performance penalty for companies that have stalled diversity and inclusion efforts. Companies that fall in the fourth quartile of both gender and ethnic diversity are 27 percent more likely to underperform on profitability than all other companies they included in their data set.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives can help companies better recruit and retain employees, increase job satisfaction and as the new report by McKinsey & Company identifies, it can lead to outperforming industry peers in profitability.

Don’t Fall for a COVID-19 Scam: What to Look For

by Ilyce Glink | Jun 11, 2020 | Blog

Don’t fall for a COVID-19 scam: How scammers are trying to take advantage of people looking for financial help during the pandemic.

With the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation, federal, state and city governments have enacted legislation to help people with their finances. But with these helpful initiatives have come bad actors trying to use the opportunity to steal the identities of people looking for help.

Be on the Lookout for These Scams During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

COVID-19 Scam #1: Stolen Federal Stimulus Payments

Federal stimulus payments have become an easy target for scammers. In April, the Internal Revenue Service debuted a tool to help in distributing funds. Through this portal, eligible persons who did not file taxes in 2018 or 2019 can enter basic identifying information so the government can easily distribute their stimulus payments.

Per IRS guidelines, users have been asked to provide a range of personal information, including:

Full name, current mailing address and an email address
Date of birth and valid Social Security number
Bank account number, type of account and routing number, if you have one
Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) if you received one from the IRS earlier this year
Driver’s license or state-issued ID, if you have one
For each qualifying child: name, Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN) and their relationship to you or your spouse

Though helpful for many Americans filling out the form, the limited and basic nature of this information makes it easier for scam artists to claim checks that are not their own. Basic personal information can be stolen in many ways, including through data breaches, fake websites asking for personal information, scam calls and phishing emails.

COVID-19 Scam #2: Scam Artists Impersonating Government Agencies

Knowing the true person behind a phone call or email can be difficult. In fact, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has reported a rise in fake emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other organizations offering Coronavirus information.

The FBI warns not to click links or open attachments from senders you do not recognize. By clicking or opening these things, malware can be unlocked, which gives scam artists access to your personal information. They could also lock your computer and demand payment. Criminals are using fake websites claiming to track COVID-19 cases to deliver malware to phones and personal computers.

COVID-19 Scam #3: Delivery Scams

Many people may be unable to pick up items like groceries or necessary medications in person and need them delivered to their door. Ordering from a trusted source online is a safe way to do so, but beware if someone you don’t know well offers to help.

Some scammers offer to purchase and deliver your supplies but never return after taking off with your money. The safest way to make sure you aren’t scammed is to ask a friend or family member for help or to use a trusted delivery service.

COVID-19 Scam #4: Waylaid Donations

There are many charitable organizations that can use your help during this time. But the FBI has noted an increase in phishing emails asking for donations to hospitals and charities, and claiming to have access to fake testing kits, cures or vaccines. As a general rule, don’t click on anything in an email from a person you do not know or recognize.

Before donating money, research the charity. Paying in cash, by gift card or by wiring money should not be done as a means of transaction, as scam artists tend to use these forms to steal. Websites like givewell.org and charitynavigator.org can be used to verify locations. For more information, the Federal Trade Commission’s website provides guidance on avoiding donation scams.

COVID-19 Scam #5: Fake Zoom Invitations

Some people have taken to sending fake Zoom invitations in an attempt to steal passwords. It is important to note how the messages you receive are worded. If someone “demands your presence” or threatens to terminate you if you don’t attend, chances are it’s a scam. Confirm that any video conference invitations you accept are coming from members of your workplace.

If you do open the link in a bogus message, you are generally directed to a website that looks similar to a legitimate Zoom meeting screen but, in reality, is a page designed to get you to input your email password. Carefully review any messages sent from unfamiliar accounts and the webpages of any links you open. Reach out to your employer for clarification if you sense something is suspicious about a Zoom invitation.

COVID-19 Scam #6: Bogus Offers for Vaccinations and Home Test Kits

There is no federally approved vaccine or home test for the Coronavirus, but that hasn’t stopped scammers from peddling fakes. If you think you may have contracted the virus, contact your doctor and ask about testing availability in your area. To help protect your identity, do not share your medical information, Social Security number or health insurance details over the phone.

How to Better Protect Your Identity from COVID-19 Scams

While you can never guarantee that your identity will be fully protected, here are five steps you can take right now to ensure your identity is better protected:

1. Frequently check your savings, checking, credit card and other key financial accounts for unauthorized charges or withdrawals.

Constantly checking the status of your financial accounts is one of the best ways to help protect your identity. Setting aside five minutes every week to review transactions can make a difference in recognizing a threat to your identity early on. For your bank and credit card accounts, sign up for email or text notifications for instant notifications.

2. Contact your bank as soon as you notice any suspicious activity on your account.

Contact your bank the moment you see something of concern in your account. Explain your situation and ask about your options, which may include canceling your active credit or debit cards and being reissued new ones. Talk with your bank or credit card lender for more information on the specific remedies available to you.

3. Frequently change your online passwords to better protect your information from data breaches.

An unintended consequence of using platforms to shop and communicate with friends from home during the pandemic is your personal information is now stored on more platforms than ever. If hackers access these systems, they could obtain your secure information without your knowledge.

To fight this issue, set up strong, unique passwords for each account with more than eight digits and contain upper and lower case letters, numbers and at least one symbol. Set a reminder to change all passwords periodically, whether that’s annually, once every six months or as frequently as you can reasonably manage.

4. Remove personal information from your social media accounts.

The more information scammers can obtain from looking at your social media accounts, the easier it can be for them to steal your identity. Review the privacy settings for your accounts and update them to remove excess information. Keeping your mailing address, email address, phone number and other personally identifying information private significantly reduces the risk that someone will be able to successfully impersonate you.

5. If your identity has been used to cash your stimulus check or apply for unemployment or other benefits, file a dispute with the relevant authorities.

Identify thieves have tended to target people most in need of financial help during the pandemic, according to reports. If you think you have not received the aid you are eligible for because you are a victim of identity theft, contact the relevant local or federal authorities.

It’s a shame people’s identities are being stolen in the middle of a pandemic, but by following these steps, you should steer clear of bad actors trying to take advantage of you.

Related Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus/COVID-19: Where to Find Assistance

CARES Act: 4 Key Pieces for You

How Soon Will I Get My Stimulus Check?

COVID-19 Information Center: What to Understand

How COVID-19 Impacts Your Student Loans

How Do You Stay Connected with Coworkers While Working From Home?

by LizStevens | Jun 9, 2020 | Blog

How do you stay connected with coworkers while working from home? Effective communication while working from home is key to keeping the team on track.

Over 60 percent of employees have spent less time socializing with coworkers since they began working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research by Clutch.

It’s a problem because close work friendships can increase job satisfaction by 50 percent and encourage more creative, collaborative and innovative teamwork.

Nearly 70 percent of companies have hosted virtual events and 26 percent have given employees more access to communication technology to boost morale and give employees an opportunity to reconnect with one another.

How Do You Stay Connected with Coworkers While Working From Home?

Virtual Events

Virtual events give employees a brief break from work to come together as a team. The most common types of virtual events that employers are hosting include:

Professional development sessions (19 percent)
Happy hours (13 percent)
Activities and games (9 percent)
Meals (5 percent)

George Kuhn, the president of Drive Research, a market research firm, told Clutch about two ways his company is bringing coworkers together. During their “Social Coffee Hours” employees are welcome to make casual, office-type conversation in a shared video call while they work. Drive Research also hosts trivia and scavenger hunts as a fun, competitive alternative to the standard small talk of happy hours and virtual meals.

Shivbhadrasinh Gohil, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Meetanshi, a Magento development company, brings employees together with a daily activity called “Photos at 4” where employees respond to a prompt by sharing a photo (examples include favorite quarantine snack, unique household item and dream vacation).

Communication Technology

Many employers used communication technology long before COVID-19. Messenger platforms like Slack have streamlined communications about everything from company announcements to general work discussions since 2009. Task management tools such as Asana have kept teams on track to meet deadlines since 2008. Organizations have come to rely on tools like these to continue working as a team while working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Employers also need reliable technology to successfully host virtual events for employees. Zoom, a video conferencing application, saw it’s daily users jump from 10 million to more than 200 million in March when much of the U.S. was under orders to shelter-in-place.

When reviewing video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams employers should consider how many participants will be attending virtual events, if there are any security concerns that need to be mitigated and what features are most important to them.

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance: What It Is and Who Can Apply

Q: What is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and What Does It Provide?

Q: Who Is Eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: Do Self-Employed People Qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: Do Gig Economy Workers Qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: How Do Employees Apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: How Much Money Will Employees Receive from Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: When Will Employees Receive Their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

Q: Can Employees Quit Their Jobs to Get Pandemic Unemployment Assistance?

More on Topics Related to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Unemployment

Top 10 Employee Benefits for 2021

Top 10 Employee Benefits for 2021

#1 Financial Wellness Programs

#2 Flexible Work Arrangements

#3 Health Insurance Benefits

#4 Paid Time Off

#5 Mental Health Benefits

#6 Family-Friendly Employee Benefits

#7 Professional Development Benefits

#8 Student Loan Employee Benefits

#9 Pet-Friendly Employee Benefits

#10 Social Responsibility Benefits

More on Topics Related to Top 10 Employee Benefits for 2021

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Employees

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Employees

Retirement

Emergency Savings

Debts and Everyday Expenses

How Financial Wellness Programs Can Help Employees Get Back on Track

More on Topics Related to the Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Employees

How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

1. Adopt a Systemic, Business-Led Approach to Diversity and Inclusion.

2. Take Bold Steps to Strengthen Inclusion.

What Are the Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives?

More on Topics Related to Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Don’t Fall for a COVID-19 Scam: What to Look For

Be on the Lookout for These Scams During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

COVID-19 Scam #1: Stolen Federal Stimulus Payments

COVID-19 Scam #2: Scam Artists Impersonating Government Agencies

COVID-19 Scam #3: Delivery Scams

COVID-19 Scam #4: Waylaid Donations

COVID-19 Scam #5: Fake Zoom Invitations

COVID-19 Scam #6: Bogus Offers for Vaccinations and Home Test Kits

How to Better Protect Your Identity from COVID-19 Scams

1. Frequently check your savings, checking, credit card and other key financial accounts for unauthorized charges or withdrawals.

2. Contact your bank as soon as you notice any suspicious activity on your account.

3. Frequently change your online passwords to better protect your information from data breaches.

4. Remove personal information from your social media accounts.

5. If your identity has been used to cash your stimulus check or apply for unemployment or other benefits, file a dispute with the relevant authorities.

Related Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic

How Do You Stay Connected with Coworkers While Working From Home?

How Do You Stay Connected with Coworkers While Working From Home?

Virtual Events

Communication Technology

More on Topics Related to Staying Connected with Coworkers and Working From Home

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