Led by the Director of the Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, participants from Marriott International, Jones Day, and Beekeeper will discuss how to best communicate with a remote workforce and prepare them for success when things start to turn around.
San Francisco, April 20, 2020 — How do furloughed employees stay in the know with what is going on at the hotel? How are hoteliers communicating unemployment insurance benefits? What will happen when things start to turn around and properties need to begin planning for reopening?
On Thursday, Beekeeper, a mobile-first communication platform for frontline workers, will host the second event in its COVID-19 Webinar Series, this time talking about the challenges of communicating with furloughed employees. With millions of hotel workers on leave, managers need to find ways to communicate with and engage remote teams and keep them connected to the organization so that when things turn around, everyone is set up for success.
To register for “Communicating with Furloughed Employees — Getting it Right,” held Thursday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m. ET, click here.
David Sherwyn, Director of the Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations and the John and Melissa Ceriale Professor of Hospitality Human Resources will discuss best practices for communicating with furloughed employees using digital resources. Panelists include Sandy Gentles,Vice President, Talent Point by Marriott; Efrat Schulman, Labor & Employment Partner, JONES DAY; and Andrada Paraschiv, Beekeeper Head of Hospitality and former Executive Director of Communications and Strategy of FRHI Hotels & Resorts (Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel).
“Furloughed employees are trying desperately to navigate the current uncertainty,” Paraschiv said. “They are hungry for any piece of information that brings direction and provides a support system to help them cope. As a result, some have started Facebook groups to keep in touch with co-workers. While messaging on these types of social channels is positive for the most part, it can also be risky for the property or brand.
“As frustrating as this situation is for hourly employees, it’s even more trying for management,” she added. “Companies simply can’t afford to have a communication gap at this time. Digital communication is the only scalable way for employers to connect with their remote workforce and get ready to ramp up once this crisis ends. We hope everyone will join us for this critical discussion to better understand the operational and legal implications if we fail to communicate and engage with our employees at this time.”
