At Alternatives we value the mental health and safety of our staff as much as we do our clients. This is why we have implemented a work-from-home policy for our non-essential staff since our shift to virtual services while maintaining staff on payroll and ensuring that they can continue to rely on a steady paycheck. We have scheduled bi-weekly staff meetings to ensure transparency in communication with our staff around COVID-related issues and we’ve provided methods for assessing staff needs and providing additional relief where possible. We have asked for staff feedback about how they’re feeling at this time and we have responded by providing the following:
- Flexible schedules while working from home
- 5 additional mental health days
- Modified work plans that address the challenges of working in this environment
- An employee relief fund for those that have had family members impacted by COVID.