Press release

Complimentary Access to The Essential COVID-19 Child Care Policy Blueprint Offered by Info-Tech Research Group and McLean & Company

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Sponsored by Businesswire

Complimentary access to an essential blueprint to child -and- dependent care policy is now offered to all organizations across the world by Info-Tech Research Group, a leading IT research and advisory firm and McLean & Company, the HR research and advisory division of Info-Tech.

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This comprehensive DIY blueprint is available without cost or commitment and can be accessed by clicking the following link: Essential COVID-19 Child Care Policy For Every Organization, Yesterday for full access. Analyst and consulting teams from both Info-Tech and McLean are also available to help on-demand.

“Giving easy access to an essential blueprint to child and dependent care policy and planning is an important way we can contribute to addressing the growing challenges our members and non-members are facing today,” said Joel McLean, executive founder and chairman, Info-Tech Research Group. “This also aligns with our commitment to providing thorough research and step-by-step guidance to any organization who needs these immediately, so we can get through this period together and come out even stronger.”

This time of uncertainty is complicated for both the employer and the employee. For employees caring for dependents, previous arrangements to care for children, adult dependents, and/or aging parents may no longer be available due to the closing of schools, daycares, recreation centers, and senior centers, as well as in-home attendants who may not be able to work. An inability to perform work properly can lead to demotivation and anxiety.

For employers, the unknown timelines associated with the pandemic also make their financial futures less predictable. This is forcing them to take a closer look at how they are managing finances and workforce productivity while supporting employees through this difficult period.

The Info-Tech and McLean blueprint provides a process for developing a policy that offers guidance on expected levels of performance and temporary accommodations to work hours and pay. This way organizations can mitigate some of the negative impacts associated with disruptions caused by a pandemic, while considering needs of individual employees.

The blueprint will help any organization develop the following:

  • A policy that provides parameters around mutually agreed upon adjustments to performance levels while balancing dependent care with work during a pandemic.
  • Effective ways to take care of the business through clear guidelines on compensation while taking care of the health and wellness of employees.
  • Detailed work-from-home plans that lessen disruption to employees’ daily work, while taking care of their children, aged parents, and/or other dependants.

According to Tracy-Lynn Reid, director, people and leadership research, Info-Tech Research Group: “Every single business across the world is facing uncertainty at unprecedented levels today. Some have planned for their work from home and business continuity practices by now. However, new challenges arise as schools and caregiving facilities are closing daily. Organizations that hope to come out of the pandemic strong will need to implement defined policies addressing this specific issue.”

Underscoring the importance of leaders’ ability to develop and set new direction quickly during a pandemic, Reid further adds: “It is crucial to instill confidence in employees and this includes leaders being able to navigate and support disruptions to dependent care services that may interrupt an employee’s ability to get work done. An agreed upon policy and process is the best way for both the employer and the employee to have greater peace of mind right now.”

Specific aspects that this blueprint includes are help with identification of organizational philosophies on integrating dependent care with alternate work arrangements, and the establishment of reasonable coverage parameters. The blueprint also provides detailed step-by-step guidance on these aspects from the organizational and departmental level, all the way down to individual team levels. There are also recommendations provided on documenting essential and non-essential duties, performance expectations, communications, and anything else necessary to keep employees productive, while allowing them to manage their family’s unique needs and challenges during the pandemic.

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About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the fastest growing full-service research and analyst firms in North America, serving more than 40,000 IT and HR professionals. With offices in Canada, the United States, and Australia, Info-Tech offers pragmatic analyst insights and actionable tools to IT departments from world-class organizations such as NASA, New Balance, Spotify, and the United Nations. Info-Tech Research Group’s divisions include McLean & Company, myPolicies, and SoftwareReviews.