Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization identified three necessary conditions to contain the outbreak.

Today we begin a new weekly column by crisis management expert and professor of leadership and communication Helio Fred Garcia. The column will excerpt passages from his new book on the failed U.S. response to COVID-19 and lessons for leaders: The Trump Contagion: How Incompetence, Dishonesty, and Neglect Led to the Worst-Handled Crisis in American History.

An employee retention credit (ERC) is a tax credit with the explicit goal of encouraging businesses to keep employees on payroll despite the pandemic.

Judge Terry A. Doughty’s ruling enjoining federal government departments and employees from urging or even encouraging social media platforms to remove false and dangerous information is an affront to justice, to democracy, and to truth.

Office etiquette rules have and will be changing as we return to an in-house working environment. Etiquette in the office is a sign of professionalism and it conveys respect for one another.

Experts say that by 2025, 22% of the workforce will work remotely. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 47% of businesses say that remote work is here to stay. Similarly, workers report feeling 22% happier  and 30% more productive when they work from home. However, 47% also report experiencing burnout. As a society, we have witnessed a shift in the work/ life balance and longer hours, presenting new challenges for remote workers.

The job market isn’t the same as it was before the world changed a few years ago. Beyond upending the job market and how people work, the pandemic also leveled the playing field for requirements for certain jobs.

Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace outlining the foundational role that workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers and our communities. As reports of “quiet quitting” and the Great Resignation have shown, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work for many and the relationship that some workers have with their jobs.

The pneumatic tube system (invented in the 19th century) is now a vital part of patient care.  Advanced technology makes them faster and more reliable than they once were.  Unfortunately, the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic have strained the hospitals’ supplies. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on the economy, but small businesses took an especially hard hit. In fact, 96% of small businesses were affected by the pandemic which resulted in substantial layoffs and even some businesses having to shut their doors. 

With impacts from the global pandemic, mental health finally seems to have emerged from the backburner—and it’s about time. Global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic alone, according to the World Health Organization, bringing forth an even greater need for employee wellness programs. 

Plunging into a crisis, whether reputational or widespread like a pandemic, is always scary. They push us outside our comfort zones and into a frightening new realm.

From 2018 to 2022, 95 college mergers took place, up 21% from any prior point in the 21st century. For many, merging with another school was a last ditch effort to prevent permanent shutdown.

One of the greatest challenges facing global communicators and content creators today is finding a common language — literally. For every communication we prepare, we have to think about not only how to stand out in the crowded content marketplace and make a meaningful connection with our audiences, but how to actually get through and be effectively understood.

When it comes to investments in the United States, a plethora of options open up to any willing consumer. From the safest savings account to the most risky stock option, there’s no shortage of options for those trying to make money using money. Although in recent years few have managed to stay as consistently safe and to rise in value as well as gold has.

When watching a soap opera, be it “The Young & Restless” or “General Hospital,” you can return to the show seven months later and it’s like you’ve never stopped watching. The characters are mostly the same and the plot has hardly changed. It’s predictable, comfortable, easy to follow, a little bit exciting — but nothing earth-shattering.

What does purpose, management, empathy, content, inclusion and burnout have in common? As it happens, they are what most conversations, coverage and case studies related to employee engagement and experience are focused on these days. We spent some time on these six topics to observe what’s changing and why, what it means for the future and how we can make the most of it in the present. Our findings were summarized in Red Havas’ newest white paper, The (Six) Biggest Waves in Employee Engagement — and How to Ride Them. 

As communicators seek to engage dispersed workforces and help culture thrive, they must figure out a strategic mix of content, channels and cadence to consider how they ensure messages reach all employees.

Two years after the outbreak of the global pandemic, some organizational leaders are looking forward to going ‘back to the way things used to be’ before COVID-19, while others are realizing that it is essential to dive a little deeper into its learnings to continue to build a culture of inclusion, well-being, and care. The reason we should all be in the latter group is burnout—and our ability to reduce or prevent it within our organizations by continuing to connect with employees actively and authentically.

Most Americans understand that probiotics are good for us and that they can be important to use when we’re sick, but many of us may not understand the true importance of probiotics. It’s one of those things that may hold a nebulous place in our minds, leaving us to diminish the impact that these supplements actually have on our health.