Wash Your Hands, Pay Your People, Be Anti-Racist, and Other Coronavirus Tips for Engaged Locals
Miami, we’ve got this. If any city should know how to brace itself for a potential crisis, it’s us.
We are well practiced in emergency planning. Every season, we scan the weather reports for hurricanes, we make and implement emergency protocols, and we sustain each other during uncertain times. It’s time to flex our muscle.
Locals are already getting prepared. You can feel it on the roads. You can see it on the shelves. Large events are starting to cancel. Company and elected leaders are beginning to share their plans. But just like in hurricane season, we must place special focus on the large portion of our region that can't afford for things to shut down for a few weeks.
ALICE = Asset limited, income constrained, employed. Graph from 2018 United Way Report
19% of our neighbors in Miami live below the poverty line and an additional 40% are employed, asset limited and income constrained. The United Way produces a report on this that is absolutely worth reading.
For a majority of local families, missing a few paychecks is enough to fall into crisis. There are thousands of kids in our city who rely on schools for their only meals. If schools make the difficult choice to go online, how will those children eat? I know MDCPS is thinking long and hard about this. We all should too.
When the shelves get depleted, who ends up with an empty cupboard? When the medical centers are flooded with extra needs, what happens to those in the community who already have health needs and won't be able to access their typical supports?
There are many questions we need to be asking, far beyond just whether or not we have enough hand sanitizer in our own homes. As we brace ourselves for the worst and hope for the best, we need to be thinking about all of Miami, because that’s the kind of city we want to live in.
Below are 7 tips for engaged locals, and a few more for organization leaders as we prepare for a potential health emergency. May we be over prepared and underwhelmed by what’s to come. And may we always represent our values as a city, even in our moments of greatest challenge.
Tips for Engaged Locals
Pay: If you employ hourly workers in your home or otherwise, consider paying them even if you cancel appointments or services during this time. Hourly workers rely on you for their income, and will be especially vulnerable right now. Not only is this humane, it is also a safety precaution. If people are at risk of not being able to eat or care for their families, they will continue to work while sick, putting themselves and others in danger. Pay people. Release from typical sick policies. Allow people to protect themselves, their families, and the others around them. And if you are in a position to do so, tip generously right now. As traffic slows down, workers who rely on heavy traffic are going to feel squeezed.
Donate: Every time you fill up your cart, think about those who can not do the same. Call local organizations that support people in moments of crisis, and ask what they need right now. Consider donating money instead of stuff.
Wave: Don’t touch people. You have no idea who has a compromised immune system. What may feel safe to you may actually be quite dangerous for others. Don’t assume. And because of the long incubation period for this virus, you may have no idea that you are carrying it. Keep your body to yourself.
Be anti-racist: There has been an uptick in xenophobic behaviors. Cut that out. And don’t tolerate it from others.
Check on people: This virus is especially threatening to the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Reach out to those in your life who might be feeling increased fear. They might value you dropping off some soap or canned goods...and for the love of god, don’t hug them when you go over. Big, loving waves and smiles.
Boost your immune system: For the most part, healthy people find this virus to be milder. So be at your healthiest. Sleep well. Minimize stress. Eat your veggies. Consider probiotics, vitamins, or other supplements. Minimize sugar and alcohol. Get those steps in. Set yourself up to be at your strongest.
Solve: We are a global and entrepreneurial city. We must support our local leaders to find solutions to the inevitable issues to come, from supply shortages to healthcare worker strains. Ask your elected and neighborhood leaders what’s needed and be a source of support.
Tips for Organization Leaders
1. For the love of god, pay your people. Not just your salaried employees. Pay your hourly workers. Your team depends on you and your loyalty during times of crisis is what earns you their return loyalty all year round. Pay. Your. People.
2. Go virtual. Support your teams to go virtual where possible. There are great tips here on how great teams do it year round. (*check with your lawyer about how to implement this if you’re unable to offer the same flexibility for all roles on staff.)
3. Model good health. If you’re still “in person,” motivate good health. Spread out. Plant hand sanitizer on desks. Keep doors open to avoid all the touching. We had a hand washing leaderboard going. What can I say...we’re competitive people. We’re now totally digital and we’re considering how to handle our pending events.
4. Relax your policies. Chill out on the days off policy right now. Let people take care of themselves and their families. Understand that if schools cancel, work will be hard even from home.
5. Listen to your people. Don’t force them to work in ways that they feel jeopardize their safety. We all have different bars of comfort and you can’t always tell when someone is immunocompromised, so it’s not appropriate to assume that what is safe enough for you is safe enough for others.
6. Ramp up. If you’re in a service providing role, now is the time to make calls to secure additional resources. There is likely to be increased need. This includes additional resources and support for yourself.
Stay healthy and safe, Miami. We’re in this boat together. Row.
