Over the past month, our area has had to deal with tremendous hardship due to two uninvited visitors, Charley and Frances. Family, friends, neighbors and even strangers have rallied together to overcome significant personal and job related issues. The work is ongoing.

During this time, it is important for employers to be sensitive to their employees, and try to accommodate their personal needs as much as possible. Stress is defined as “emotional or intellectual pressure or tension”.

It is a well known fact that unchecked stress can lead to physical or mental illness, and employers know full well that excessive absenteeism is not a desired result, especially as many employers are trying to recoup missed opportunities or production schedules. There are several time tested human resource options that employers should consider during the return to normalcy period:

• Flex Time
• Work at home
• On site child care
• Job sharing
• Varying schedules
• Employee Assistance Programs
• On site stress management training

In short, it’s time to emphasize to your valued employees that you care about their welfare, and you will try to balance your need to deal with business issues with their attempts to restore personal issues. Employers will reap big dividends in the long term with short term employee investment now.