Adequate Labor Planning Key to Preventing Supply Chain Disruption

February 9, 2021 | Staffing Blog

This year has forced every single company to take a serious look at its systems and operations and adjust accordingly to the new climate the pandemic brought. Some industries, such as the supply chain, are having to do entire rehauls to keep their business afloat. New equipment, alternative suppliers, and screening protocols are just some examples of the changes being implemented across all supply chain businesses. However, perhaps one of the biggest and most universal issues everyone must address is adequate labor planning. The future is still uncertain, so it’s imperative that your labor plan is solid if you want to keep things running smoothly. Keep reading for tips to help you prevent as much disruption as possible in your supply chain staffing.

HR Rules During the Pandemic

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Center for Disease Prevention Control (CDC) have outlined basic safety protocols to protect your employees who need to work onsite. Since the majority of supply chain positions must be done in person, management and HR departments need to define and communicate COVID-19 policies to employees. This is not only to help the staff feel safe coming into work, it also keeps the spread of the virus at bay so you have healthy employees who are able to continue production. With that in mind, some tips for keeping your HR protocols solid during this time are:

• Ensuring employing safety. Make sure you have made any adjustments necessary to the worksite to allow employees to keep safe distance from another. Implement and communicate rules such as wearing masks, staying home when experiencing symptoms, and enforcing hygiene rules that will help to prevent the spread of the virus. Take a look at your budget and see what you can offer employees who are forced to stay home. Doing such things will keep your team feeling protected and not tempted to search for jobs where they can from work home.
• Making sure your policies are fair for all positions. Some of your staff may have the privilege of being able to work from home part or full time. Others may be able to stay away from the team in their own offices or separate rooms. Make sure you’re thinking of everyone and how to treat them as fairly as possible. Everyone should feel equally supported by your COVID policy.
• Encouraging your team to maintain communication with you and seeking employee feedback. Navigating asking questions and expressing safety concerns is a pretty awkward situation for many. Make sure it’s clear that you invite everyone to communicate with you about any and every issue that arises. Let them know you understand things are a little weird right now and you’re here for them every step of the way.
• Continuing to spread positivity and affirmations. Reward people for small wins, welcome those who have gotten sick back with excitement, and continue to spread positivity in any way you can. People are stressed that they have to come into work and navigate the new adjustments to the environment and processes. Showing them recognition will keep them feeling good about their employer, even if everything else isn’t so great right now.

Planning For Labor Shortages

The supply chain, specifically the construction industry, was already experiencing labor shortages before COVID-19 hit. Clearly the pandemic did not help this matter. Even with good policies that support and protect employees, actually finding solid staff members is an issue in itself. So what can you do? Some ideas are:

• Investing in technology, such as construction management software, to reduce time spent on site and save money.
• Offer more attractive incentives and benefits.
• Partner up with a staffing agency that specializes in the supply chain.

We Can Help You Manage Staffing Issues

If you’re looking for a staffing agency, you don’t have to look very far. Allegiance Staffing specializes in staffing the supply chain, and we have locations all over the United States. Our services are exactly what you need to navigate labor needs and inconsistencies during this time, and here are a few reasons why:

• We provide temporary staffing solutions. This eliminates the stress of needing to let employees go or needing to hire people to support temporary peaks in business. Also, if anyone in your full-time team catches the virus, we can provide a temp to fill in for them while they’re in quarantine.
• We know of a lot of talented people looking for jobs, so we can help you navigate the ebbs and flows of operational shifts.
• Our experts are up-to-date on current labor laws and practices, so we have you covered there.

That’s just a summary! We have so much more to offer to support your labor planning going forward. Give us a call to learn more about how we are helping our clients in the supply chain experience ease with stable staffing solutions.