How to support your remote workers affected by war

As the war in Ukraine continues, in this article, we highlight 6 actionable steps that you can do to support Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian remote workers in your team.

1. Regular check-in with your teams

Not many of us can grasp what a person whose country has gone to war is really going through. Also, let’s not forget every person has different ways of processing current events. That’s why it is essential to provide a safe space for your team members to talk and share their feelings, thoughts, and needs. 

Ensure time for regular team meetings with your remote employees. Drop the agenda and ask them how they are doing instead. Don’t get involved. Just listen and let everyone find comfort in each other’s words.

2. Provide professional mental healthcare assistance

Our subconscious works in strange ways, and sometimes we are not aware of how one or another event will affect us. The fact is, war is very damaging for our mental health. Thus, it is vital to address this issue as soon as possible.

Provide your team with a list of mental healthcare specialists who work remotely and speak different languages. If your budget allows, allocate a given amount of money and offer to pay for therapy sessions for those who need them.

3. Set up a dedicated channel for immediate help

Easily accessible information is a relief for those who are in a difficult situation. A dedicated phone number (in case of Internet loss), email address, or Slack channel can save time and reduce tension when seeking an urgent response. 

Assign someone from your team to ensure that these channels are frequently reviewed and address incoming requests immediately. 

You can establish standby hours for emergency email/Slack messages that could be taken in immediately. 

Messages coming in outside of this schedule could be addressed within a certain amount of time.

4. Enable your community support

It’s easy to lose trust in each other when times are hard but recent events have shown that people do unite to take care of one another.

Enable your community with an opportunity to support those in need. It could be a voluntary donation for those affected by the war. 

For example, when withdrawing earnings from the Teamway platform, all our members have the opportunity to donate to our Ukrainian members who are currently unable to work to sustain themselves.

5. Remember compassion and empathy

Let’s try to remember that we’re all humans despite all our differences. Make sure that you embrace your team with leadership built on compassion, flexibility, and empathy.

Allow everyone to take all the time they need without feeling guilty for not maintaining their productivity levels or taking “too many” sick days. Be aware that some people will choose work as a coping mechanism, while others will turn to different ways to help themselves. Let everyone decide what is best for them.

6. Issue advance payments

Some of your employees directly affected by the ongoing war could be facing serious financial challenges. 

Consider issuing advance payments to provide them with extra cash to support their families or relocate somewhere safe. 

We’re closely monitoring the ongoing war, and we will consistently update this article with new highlights and external links.