How to tell your colleague to stay at home when sick?
Dear Yogesh,
As you know that the coronavirus threat has mounted and as responsible people, we all need to adhere to strict precautions. I understand that changing habits can be difficult, but most people have become ignorant of the situation. Need your help in approaching my people and telling them to seek work-from-home options in case of illness or symptoms of viral, flu, or that similar to COVID-19. Also please help me on how can I help him with necessary do’s and don’t without offending him.
Seeking your valuable advice.
Yours sincerely
Samarth
Dear Samarth,
I understand your concern and agree with you that together only we can fight the pandemic COVID19. On the other hand, we can also look at the situation as an opportunity to help people change their habits and do what they don’t feel like doing.
When encountering a pandemic situation like this, people often react basis the understanding of the consequences and their beliefs. In the end, their motivation is founded on the assumptions they make.
Here, you can help others by helping them see both the consequences. For instance, during sickness, if they choose to stay at home then there can be both, positive and negative consequences. On one hand, they can relax, take good care of themselves and work from home in case they’re allowed to and can manage to work from home. On the other side, if they’re too short of leaves, they might have to bear the loss of pay. Also, people in senior positions cannot afford to miss important meetings, and staying back for a long time makes it difficult for them to catch up on the work when they resume work.
This is where discussing the possibilities of managing work while not coming to the office can help you set a mutual expectation of not attending the office while sick. Setting expectations clearly is the first step to increasing performance as a team. While we make agreements, we agree on everyone’s roles and responsibilities and the reasons behind them. We discuss the positives and the negatives; we see it from everyone’s perspective and make decisions that are mutual.
Also, sharing stories of how this virus has spread and has been spreading across the nation can help people understand the seriousness of the situation and ignite accountability in them.
While discussing every aspect, you’d also need to discuss the ‘what if’ situation. What if a colleague still turns up sick? You’d have all the right to hold that person accountable irrespective of the position he or she holds. Just make sure that the conversation is established on the basis of the mutual agreement you people made as a team so that you can ensure security while holding the conversation. Holding people accountable may seem like the job of a boss alone, but actually, it’s everyone’s responsibility. The biggest difference between good and best teams is how nicely they clear up expectations and sort our confusions in an elegant, dignified manner, that is a skill we teach in our Crucial Conversations® training.
People in these teams do not let problems worsen and they do not let problems hamper their relationships. They discuss these around a table and reach a solution.
Best wishes,
Yogesh Sood,
This blog is inspired by the thoughts of Al Switzler which he shared on 2nd Feb 2020.