• Albany International, a composite materials manufacturer in Rochester, sent workers home with care packages of gloves, wipes, masks and cleaners to share with their families (pictured).
• Fidelity Investments in Merrimack offers five paid “relief days” to deal with unexpected events related to the crisis, as well as additional paid recovery time for employees diagnosed with COVID-19. A new working-caregiver COVID subsidy reimburses eligible expenses up to $100 per dependent per month from Sept. 1 through the end of June 2021. A one-time $300 COVID work-from-home allowance is also available to help employees cover the cost of home office expenses. Free online workouts and wellness webinars are also provided for workers.
• NFI North, a nonprofit in Contoocook that provides educational, mental health and social services to children, youth, families, adults and seniors, equipped employees with laptops for virtual meetings, and conducted training on technology for those who needed it. Because many of its workers are essential services providers, NFI’s board of directors increased salaries by $4,000 annually per employee. NFI also implemented “stay interviews” (as opposed to exit interviews) to find out what matters to workers. As a result, they launched a sick bank, allowing employees with serious illnesses to have additional paid sick time beyond the seven days they receive annually.
Current Issue - April 2024