Resources and Tools for Training and HR Professionals to Cope with COVID-19

Reeling from the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19), the world has turned into a vastly different place from just a month ago. With most countries implementing social distancing and work-from-home policies, companies now are pivoting—often 180 degrees—to manage, train, and motivate hundreds of thousands of employees from a distance. The training industry has responded with an outpouring of free tools, resources, best practices, and tips to help Learning and Development (L&D), HR, and other professionals cope with the fallout from the Coronavirus. Here is a comprehensive—and continuously updated—listing of tools and resources that can help.

ADOBE

Right now, communities around the world are coming together in their efforts to endure the social and economic impacts of recent public health advisories around COVID-19—and Adobe is stepping in to lend a hand.

From supporting virtual community groups to public health trainings and large virtual conferences, the Adobe Connect platform is helping communities; schools; businesses; and federal, state, and local emergency response teams.

Adobe believes Adobe Connect has a vital role to play for enterprises looking to continue business operations despite travel restrictions, cancelled conferences, and delayed projects, all while keeping their people safe. Its virtual business environments let employees join meetings, virtual conferences and trainings from their homes, where they can continue to be productive and socially engaged. Several schools and universities are using Adobe Connect to allow students to learn remotely, in larger than ever numbers, and keeping curriculum on track by moving their instructor-led classes to Adobe Connect virtual classrooms for this semester.

Adobe now is providing free 90-day access for Adobe Connect, until July 1, 2020. Individuals and business who aren’t customers now can use Adobe Connect rooms with up-to 25 participants for free for up to 90 days if they sign-up for a trial license between now and July 1.

Businesses looking for shorter-term licenses (less than 1 year) but need larger capacity, or existing customers looking to meet their rapidly expanding Adobe Connect platform usage to enable a much larger number of remote workers should also contact Adobe as it will be happy to lend support and optimize your plan for your use case.

For more information, visit:

https://blogs.adobe.com/adobeconnect/2020/03/adobe-connect-extending-support-in-the-wake-of-covid-19.html

ADP

ADP recently launched the ADP Employer Preparedness Toolkit, designed to help navigate the challenges employers and their workforce are facing. Here you’ll find FAQs, checklists, Webcasts, and articles to help guide your efforts. As a critical partner that millions of workers rely on, ADP understands the importance of its operation to its clients’ businesses and their employees’ livelihoods. ADP is taking unprecedented measures to ensure its associates are safe while its clients and their employees have the essential services and guidance they need to get through these trying times.

ADP will also host a complimentary virtual summit on May 29, 2020 to provide critical insights, best practices and actionable guidance to help employers navigate a safe and effective return to work.  The event, “Looking Beyond the Curve: Recovery and Engagement in the New World of Work,” will run from 11:00am to 5:00pm ET and feature ADP experts leveraging unique research and data on topics including business continuity, evolving legislation, navigating compliance, and activating a workforce in flux.

Four event sessions will guide attendees through key considerations in the return to work:

• The Workforce Outlook Has Changed: Redefining the Future of Work
• No Handshakes Please: Managing and Activating Talent in the New World of Work
•  Legislation for the Next Normal: Navigating Regulations and Staying Compliant
•  Industry-Leading Strategic Advisors Share Their Back-to-Business Game Plan

In addition to the virtual event, more than 15 additional, on-demand sessions will be available on topics including payroll tax deferrals, leave management, HR outsourcing, employee engagement, safety and privacy, agile pay practices, financial wellness and more.  The entire event, including all sessions, keynotes and supporting deep dive sessions, will be available as a recording once the live event concludes.

For more information or to register for ADP’s “Looking Beyond the Curve: Recovery and Engagement in the New World of Work” Summit, visit www.adp.com/virtualsummit.

ALLEGO

A new training app has been created in conjunction with the newly-formed Ventilator Training Alliance (VTA) – a coalition formed by the world’s leading ventilator manufacturers, including Dräger, GE Healthcare, Getinge, Hamilton Medical, Medtronic, Nihon Kohden, and Philips. Allego’s technology was used to create a central knowledge hub, where respiratory therapists, nurses and other medical professionals can quickly access information from ventilator manufacturers, including instructional how-to videos and manuals critical to treating patients suffering from COVID-19-related respiratory distress.

ALLEN INTERACTIONS

Allen Interactions has been hosting roundtable discussion Webinars and co-creating resources with its expert colleagues and friends to support the training industry during this time of transition. Allen Interactions has compiled a list of resources to help you as your team navigates remote work and distance learning.

Webinars and Guides 

• Best Practices for Migrating ILT to Digital Delivery On-Demand Webinar and Virtual Training Start Up Guide Download
• Co-Create Your Playbook for Remote Work Success On-Demand Webinar and Playbook Download
• Top 4 Strategies to Optimize your Learning and Development Now On-Demand Webinar

Blogs 

• Enabling an Empowered Distributed Workforce
• How to Define and Strengthen your Remote Teams
• Q&A: Migrating ILT to Digital Delivery
• Shifting to Virtual? 10 Ideas for Starting Up Remote Instruction
• Virtual Meeting Design Framework and Infographic – Plan, Do, Check, Act
• Learning and Organizational Strategies During COVID-19
• Future Proofing Your Organization through Learning and Development

For more information or additional resources, contact the Allen Interactions team.

ALLENCOMM

In the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, AllenComm is retooling its content conversion services to meet the immediate time-sensitive needs of its customers to help minimize face-to-face training activities. AllenComm has launched its Rapid Response initiative to support businesses experiencing disruptions to their training operations.

AllenComm Rapid Response services are aimed to quickly convert and deliver planned training, especially onboarding and other instructor-led training (ILT) events, into either virtual ILT (VILT) or digital learning.

Working outside its normal operational model, the company will provide access to more than 130 Learning professionals to assist in these unplanned needs. With more than 35 years of experience in developing training quickly for large audiences, a large library of learning activities, and cloud-based learning platforms, its teams are ready to assist. The AllenComm team will set up response processes to scope and estimate projects within 1 to 2 days of receiving sample content from clients.

Companies that are faced with immediate conversion needs can partner with AllenComm for:

• Rapid conversion of ILT content to digital assets.
• Conversion of in-person training sessions into V-ILT sessions for Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, WebEx, Zoom, and other applicable platforms.
• Temporary content management and distribution sites which can: schedule VILT sessions, host/distribute online content, and provide tracking.

For information and options/guidelines for scalable rapid ILT digital conversion, visit:

https://www.allencomm.com/scalable-rapid-ilt-to-digital-conversion/

AMA (AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION) 

AMA offers a variety of flexible virtual training options that not only fit different learning preferences but make it easy to keep goals on track during any challenging situation. Popular options include:

Live Online Courses—Experience AMA’s most popular instructor-led, interactive seminars from the comfort of your home or office.

Live Online Express Courses—Gain quick knowledge and powerful skills in just 2.5 hours, live online with expert instructors.

On Demand—Tap into online training 24/7 with AMA OnDemand courses.

Remote Access—If you’re unable or unwilling to travel, you can remotely access and participate in AMA’s live classroom courses. Call Customer Service at 800.262.9699 and ask for details.

AMA also offers a wide range of Webinars on important business topics.

For more information, visit:

https://www.amanet.org/session-type/virtual/?pcode=DQ2Q&utm_source=sapphire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OT2003-126768-DQ2Q-Virtual-Learning-03-18

AMT TRAINING

AMT Training offers Excel-based financial modelling training courses to those in the finance and banking industries around the world. Typically delivered through a combination of in-person and digital workshops, the current COVID-19 crisis means the company has placed a greater emphasis on the number of its courses that now can be carried out solely online via its virtual classrooms. These fully accredited courses are specially tailored to ensure that they are as up to date as possible and can be tailored to meet a business’ specific needs should it be required. They are available to both individuals and companies looking to enhance the development of their workforce.

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (ASCM)

With the unemployment rate projected to hit 32% and an overwhelming number of Americans working from home, many people are looking to online resources to bolster future job security and learn new skills during this time of job uncertainty and social distancing.

To encourage workforce and personal development, the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) is offering free access to “Basics of Distribution and Logistics.”  

The following is available online at www.ascm.org:

• Online Learning Systems: APICS learning systems and study tools for CPIM, CSCP and CLTD are now available digitally via the online learning system.
• Online Proctored Exam: In partnership with ASCM’s exam partner, Pearson VUE, exams for CPIM, CSCP, and CLTD in select locations worldwide can be taken from an individual’s home computer
• Principles on Demand, Basics of Distribution and Logistics: ASCM is offering free access to its ASCM’s APICS certifications, which include CPIM (Certification in Procurement and Inventory Management), CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) and CLTD (Certification in Logistics, Distribution and Transportation) are the global standard for supply chain professionals.

BENCHPREP 

BenchPrep, a provider of the configurable cloud-based learning platform for corporations, training organizations, and nonprofits, launched a Quick Start Program (QSP) that is designed specifically for education and training organizations that rely on the delivery of in-person training services. QSP will equip these organizations to maneuver around COVID-19 restrictions with a digital-first model that can be quickly onboarded, has simple contracting, and straightforward pricing.

To learn more about QSP, visit: https://info.benchprep.com/quick-start-program

BIGTINCAN

The entire team at Bigtincan wants to do what it can to help communities and individuals understand more about coronavirus, and how to help all to embrace the social distancing and remote working concepts.

As such, Bigtincan created an information pack in the format of a Bigtincan Learning Course that provides information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 compiled from a range of government bodies including major health organizations that it is offering free of charge to organizations looking for help educating their mobile and remote teams. The course has multiple modules, including information about the virus, doing your part, and key links to external sources.

And to support people working remotely, Bigtincan created a learning program that shows people how to think about working remotely with strategies and best practices to perform at their best when not in the office. The working remotely course has data about tips and tricks to get organized and information about how to use modern tools and how to work with others in a remote world. Bigtincan also is offering is learning platform for free, through 2020, for anyone wishing to use it for safety-related communications and training.

For more information, visit the Health and Safety Course landing page.

BIZLIBRARY

Dedicated to HR and Learning professionals and focused on providing the best and most complete online training solutions, BizLibrary created a free playlist of videos titled “COVID-19 Resources” for anyone to access. 

Simply click here to access the playlist.

Here are a few of the main topic areas that are covered:

• Preparing for an Epidemic
• Setting Up Your Remote Workspace
• Conference Call Guidelines
• Staying Productive While Working Remotely
• Enhancing Productivity with Remote Workers

BizLibrary’s content engages employees of all levels, and its learning technology is a dependable and progressive catalyst for achievement.

NEW! BizLibrary is offering high-quality training content on its user- friendly platform – free for 90 days! BizLibrary’s Smarter Every Day initiative will be your guide to continued learning during this pandemic, offering access to its online Learning Portal and video lessons on various professional development topics. By signing up, you can learn anytime, anywhere, on any device with internet access. To sign up, visit: https://covid19.bizlibrary.com/Account/Register?code=Covid19

For more information, contact:
Tony Perry, BizLibrary Product Marketing Specialist, at:
tperry@bizlibrary.com

BOUNCEBACK

With hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, Jobbio wanted to help some of these talented people get back on their feet as quickly as possible. So Jobbio created a Website called BounceBack, a destination for anyone who has found themselves without a job as a result of this global pandemic. It’s a place where talented people can register their details and their job interests quickly, and join a community of people who have found themselves in a similar boat.

Jobbio has access to thousands of jobs, and will share the relevant ones with people who sign up as they go live, so they can apply and bounce back as quickly as possible.

CENTRICAL 

Centrical, a provider of the holistic employee engagement and real-time performance management platform for Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Novartis, and Unilever, announced the Centrical for Business Continuity & Remote Work solution. In response to a growing need from its customers, the company brought it to market rapidly to help them, and other companies, deal with having employees work from home due to the health threat posed by COVID-19, as well as the impact it is having on their daily operations and overall performance.

The new Centrical solution comes with a QuickStart package that can be up and running in just one week. Elements include:

• Engagement to connect and focus employees working remotely and those still at the office
• Enable real-time, bi-directional, closed-loop communications allowing managers to track voice-of-the-employee, performance issues, and gaps
• Create fast-track, on-the-job retraining programs
• Keep employees on target with real-time performance tracking

The QuickStart Centrical Business Continuity & Remote Work solution is currently available and is offered without fees for integration or onboarding. In addition, reduced license and administration costs are being offered, as well as flexible roll-out schedules across locations and departments.

To learn more, visit: 

https://bit.ly/2w0T9R8, call 800.538.4263 (U.S.) or +44 20 3318 6424 (UK) or e-mail: info@centrical.com

CLARITY WAVE

Clarity Wave is a leading employee engagement software for companies that care about their employee culture. Remote work can be a challenge. To support businesses during these difficult times, Clarity Wave is now offering 3 months of free access, without any limit, to those affected by COVID-19.

CLEAR REVIEW

Clear Review, a leader in performance management software, launched its new Performance Management Academy, a free online learning platform that will make the practice a critical part of all businesses. Providing the latest courses, events, and a supportive community, the Academy will deliver help, guidance, and networking opportunities to anyone involved in performance management.

Interested HR professionals and managers can register for the Clear Review Performance Management Academy for free today.

CODINGGURU.COM

CodingGuru.com features high-quality eLearning, training videos, and live instructor-led workshops (virtual and in-person), for programmers of all skill levels across a multitude of languages and IT topics, including JavaScript, Python, PHP, and more. If you have a team to train, the company will bring a tenured instructor to you on-site, virtually, or explore group eLearning offers. CodingGuru.com is a premiere Web source for coding and IT-related training.

CompTIA 

CompTIA, a provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications and training for information technology (IT) professionals around the world, said in approximately 30 days it will allow candidates to take their CompTIA certification exams at home, at any time, in a secure testing environment.

Additionally, CompTIA has extended the expiration date on its certification exam vouchers. All CompTIA exam vouchers with an original expiration date between March 17, 2020, and April 30, 2020, are now valid through June 30, 2020.

For individuals who have already registered for an exam at a Pearson VUE testing center but would like to instead take a remote proctored exam, CompTIA will offer the option to reschedule their exam.

CompTIA will provide updates on the remote testing program as the launch date approaches. Similarly, the extension of the exam voucher deadline will be reassessed as events warrant. New information and updates will be available at:

https://help.comptia.org/hc/en-us

In addition, CompTIA is making its e-learning course on the fundamentals of IT free of charge to anyone interested in learning more about technology. CompTIA and its industry partner, BenchPrep, are providing free 30-day licenses for the CertMaster Learn e-learning course for CompTIA IT Fundamentals(ITF+). 

To access the free CompTIA CertMaster Learn for IT Fundamentals (ITF+) course, visit: 

https://certs.comptia.org/means_more/. There, you’ll be asked to complete a brief form to receive a unique code from BenchPrep for the free license.

CONDECO

To help companies understand what needs to be done to safely, effectively and efficiently bring employees back to the office, Condeco Software, a worldwide leader in workspace technology solutions, released a comprehensive online guide detailing how to get employees back to the office and advice on how to successfully plan and implement a “COVID-secure place to work.” The guide can be seen at: https://www.condecosoftware.com/back-to-the-office/

CORNERSTONE

People management company Cornerstone launched the Cornerstone Cares portal in collaboration with its content partners and Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation. Cornerstone Cares offers free online learning content on three topics:

• How to support the prevention of COVID-19 infection (resources published by leading global health organizations, including the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University)
• How to manage stress and anxiety
• How to stay productive and positive while working from home

The new resource aims to help people stay informed on COVID-19 and provide learning courses to help manage stress and anxiety, and maintain strong mental health during this time where many feel isolated.

Check out the Cornerstone Cares Website here to explore the content (just create a free account with your e-mail address).

COSMIC

Cosmic launched the EWMF (Essential Workers Mobility Fund), which provides free vehicles and protective gear to essential workers. Cosmic has committed 300 e-scooters / $18,000 in free access to vehicles and protective gear. It started with a co-initiative with Estacion Central in Chile, an underserved community near Santiago.

The program is open to ANY essential worker who needs support. If an essential worker applies and is approved, Cosmic will provide a free individual vehicle, masks, gloves, and antibacterial gel for six weeks. It currently is providing e-scooters and e-bikes but is working with partners to provide cars and cargo if needed.

For corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and donations, e-mail: ewmf@cosmicgo.co. For more information, visit: https://ewmf.life/

COTSWOLD CO.

Cotswold Co. published an in-depth guide called “Working from Home: A Guide to Creating a Healthy and Productive Workspace,” which can be accessed at: https://www.cotswoldco.com/working-from-home/index.html

The guide covers:

• The pros and cons of remote work for employers and their staff, the wider impact on society and the environment, and technological and cultural challenges that need to be addressed.
• Eye-opening statistics and surveys of work-from-home (WFH) employees: 68 percent felt more productive at home, 80 percent said WFH reduced their expenses, yet 57 percent also felt more stressed from working remotely.
• Understanding the biggest challenges faced by remote workers: dealing with stress, anxiety, and maintaining work-life balance at home.
• Practical tips and advice to set up a productive and healthy workspace at home, including links to other useful information.

COUNCIL OF HOTEL AND RESTAURANT TRAINERS (CHART)

To support hospitality trainers in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART, www.chart.org) is providing free membership through a newly created Membership Access Program to new members, and is providing pay-what-you-can renewal for current members who are unable to renew their membership due to the crisis.

CHART membership includes access to:

• Ask My Peers: A private, members-only online discussion group that actively shares solutions and best practices
• Virtual Training Forums: Newly-created to address timely and critical COVID-19 topics
• Regional Training Forums: In-person and virtual meetings across the U.S.
• Hospitality Training Magazine: Articles and member blogs with practical training content
• Hospitality Trainer Toolbox: An arsenal of research, publications, and ideas
• Member Directory: Contact information for the nation’s top hospitality trainers

APPLICATION INFORMATION: New members must meet the eligibility criteria of being in (or recently in) a hospitality training position for an operator business. Free membership will be offered through May 31, 2020, and will last for a period of one year.

DONATE: CHART, a non-profit association, is accepting donations to offset the cost of this program. The hashtag for this program is #BetterTogetherCHART.

COURSERA

Today Coursera launched its “Coursera Employee Resilience Initiative” to give its enterprise customers and all their employees free access to a curated set of 30+ courses, including some of its highest demand courses during these particularly stressful times.

Over the past couple months, Coursera has seen many of its enterprise customers lean on learning to build organizational resilience during COVID-19. The goal of the “Coursera Employee Resilience Initiative” is to help employees successfully transition to remote working, increase digital readiness and improve mental wellbeing.

Additional information can be found on Coursera’s blog.

COURSES ONLINE

Courses Online is one of the UK’s leading providers of vocational training courses in subjects ranging from accounting to programming to cyber security and everything in between. Delivered in partnership with a number of top educational providers, the courses it offers are ideal for anyone looking to make themselves more employable or just looking to develop a hobby further. The range of courses available are continuously updating, and many of them can be undertaken completely online to fit in with individual schedules.

CULTURE AMP

Culture Amp, the leading People & Culture company, today released new data from its COVID-19 response template, a free survey template to help organizations understand how the rapidly changing work environment has impacted their employees. After sourcing data from 200 organizations around the world, Culture Amp found a direct relationship between more engaged employees and companies demonstrating strong leadership traits. To be precise, an increase in response rates was strongly tied to “confidence in leadership in responding to the pandemic,” and “a seamless transition to widespread remote work.”

The COVID-19 response template, first offered to customers and non-customers alike in March 2020, is aimed at providing organizations with the necessary tools to keep a pulse on employee mental health, well-being, engagement, and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the template, organizations can survey their employees frequently to gain a better understanding of how their employees are adapting to remote work, communicating internally, and supporting customers at this time.

The current pandemic has taken a toll on the global workforce in more ways than one, causing extreme stress and pressure to perform in today’s volatile business environment. One study found that 45% of the workforce is currently experiencing burnout due to increased workloads, lack of support, and higher expectations at work stemming from COVID-19. Organizations must prioritize understanding and fixing the root cause of negative employee experiences while pioneering new methods to ensure that a focus is put on fostering a positive, productive and inclusive company culture as we move into a future hinged on a new workplace model.

“During uncertain times it’s more critical than ever to understand employee sentiment in order to drive engagement, productivity, well-being and ultimately uphold a dynamic workplace culture,” said Didier Elzinga, CEO & co-founder, Culture Amp. “Surveys are a great means for employees to communicate with leadership, but leaders must be willing to not only understand what the data is saying, but also respond rapidly with a smart and nuanced strategic vision. While there’s always room for improvement, the data from the first iteration of the COVID-19 response template shows that for the most part organizations are doing just that — listening to their employees and piloting systemic shifts to help them adapt to changing workplace demands.”

In addition to the free COVID-19 survey launched in March, Culture Amp has just released a free 7-part multimedia journey called “Working Through It” to help managers and employees survive and thrive during this challenging time.  To learn more about these resources, please visit:

• Working Through It 
• Resilience Resources

DALE CARNEGIE

Dale Carnegie, a professional development, performance improvement, and leadership training company, created a specialized online training Webinar to help teachers learn how to educate virtually and individuals to manage stress and worry, offered as free resources for the community during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The 45-minute Webinar, “Engage Your Students in Live Online Learning,” will use proven engagement principles and techniques to cover the fundamentals of online teaching, including getting started online, engaging students, leveraging technology, and live online best practices.

In addition to the webinar for teachers, Dale Carnegie has developed a workshop for everyone to manage stress, including making its on-demand Webinar, “Handling Stress and Supporting Resilience in Times of Crisis,” free online. Anyone can view the webinar by registering at this link: https://bit.ly/ResilienceInCrisis.

Webinar recordings are available at: https://www.dalecarnegie.com/en/resources/

Dale Carnegie also created a series of “Stress & Worry Principles” videos with daily tips on managing stress from top certified Dale Carnegie trainers. All videos are available on Dale Carnegie’s YouTube channel at: https://bit.ly/DaleCarnegieYouTube.

For more information about Dale Carnegie, visit: www.dalecarnegie.com

DEVRY UNIVERSITY

DeVry University is offering professional development videos tackling a variety of topics, including self-care, business communications, and other best practices specific to working in this time of crisis. The series will launch over the next several weeks; the first three videos are currently available to DeVry students, faculty, colleagues, and to the general public.

The first installment of the professional development video series includes:

• Taking Care of Yourself When Working Remotely. In times of chaos, it’s easy to forget about taking care of yourself, especially when you are faced with working remotely, maybe for the first time. This video focuses on practical self-care tips you can do to care for yourself.
• Embracing Uncertainty: How To Thrive During Change. Periods of uncertainty can be jarring and difficult; however, embracing uncertainty often can create opportunities for reinvention and growth. This video focuses on a few practical tips one can employ to leverage uncertain times as an opportunity to grow and thrive.
• Growth Mindset: How Developing a Growth Mindset Can Help Us Thrive in Challenging Situations. This video explores how developing a growth mindset can help you move forward and create resiliency which allows you to be your best self in any situation.

Visit devry.edu/blog/professional-development-video-series.html to view DeVry’s Professional Development videos.

To learn more about DeVry University, visit devry.edu

DOZUKI

Manufacturing process and training software company Dozuki is offering free access to its work instruction and training software to manufacturers impacted by COVID-19 through its new Emergency Assistance Program. Essential procedures can easily be built in Dozuki and deployed to employees from anywhere across Internet-connected devices. This enables critical health, safety, and operational processes to be disseminated quickly across an organization, all while following CDC guidelines for social distancing.

Companies that sign up will have free use of Dozuki for three months, with an option to extend the program pending circumstances, and will have access to the following remote access features:

• Digital guides to share essential procedures
• Training modules to track and confirm employee training
• Video and photo support to communicate clearly
• Internal approval workflows to control information

 For more information on Dozuki’s Emergency Assistance Program, and to sign up, visit the Dozuki website.

EDX

The edX team has put together a resource that shares information around its response to COVID-19 and what it hopes can be helpful tools as people adjust to this new normal. 

edX also has created a new crash course designed to help people make the most of learning online. Take the course for free at: How to Learn Online, and access tips and strategies informed by the science of learning.

ej4

ej4 is offering new training content to help clients inform their employees about what coronavirus is, and how they can take precautionary measures to prepare for a pandemic situation. In addition, it is making this content available for free on YouTube and its own ej4 Website to the general public and businesses.

In addition to creating a five-part series on Pandemic Planning and five-part series Precautions and Prevention of Coronavirus, ej4 created a playlist on YouTube on coronavirus prevention tips that includes several short videos that apply to businesses and the general public. These courses include topics such as “How to Wash Your Hands,” “How to Stop Touching Your Face,” “How to Sanitize Your Workspace,” and “How to Quarantine Yourself,” with more content coming as the situation evolves.

Additional resources include:

• Blog: Coronavirus Precautions for Employees
• Blog: Pandemic Planning and Training for Employees
• Blog: How to Use Online Training During a Home Quarantine

Watch ej4’s free COVID-19 and Pandemic Planning videos here 

eLEARNING BROTHERS

With increased demand for online learning now, eLearning Brothers is offering a free Online Training Starter Pack, which includes:

• 20-plus layouts and interactions, including branching scenarios, drag and drops, and more
• A pre-built quiz you can easily edit and customize
• 4 cutout characters in multiple poses
• All the graphic source files, font files, and icons

The company also is offering a handful of free courses covering remote workers, and a seven-day free trial that includes downloading free assets from any eLearning Brothers Asset Library.

ENGAGEX

We’re pleased to announce that registration is now open for EngageX, the free online experience that captures everything our attendees love about the Engage conferences for staffing and recruiting professionals.

What’s on the agenda for EngageX? You decide. Want to network with your peers? Use our matchmaking tool to connect with like-minded staffing professionals. Want to maximize your Bullhorn investment? Arrange one-on-one meetings with Bullhorn experts and marketplace partners. Do you come for the content? Choose from dozens of sessions and keynotes:

• Staffing Industry Analysts’ Barry Asin will share research and advice on how to grow your firm in a post-COVID-19 world.
• Keynote speaker Dr. Dava Newman will use her experience as a leader at NASA to inspire the audience to grow their own leadership qualities and team-building techniques.
• Bullhorn CEO Art Papas will present his ever-popular keynote addressing the state of the industry and where we’ll head next.

If this sounds like a lot to do in one day, you’re right. EngageX runs over two days: Thursday June 18th through Friday June 19th. The best part? EngageX is totally free—that’s a value of thousands of dollars. Mark your calendars and register now for EngageX.

ENTELECHY

Entelechy is making its leadership e-learning library available free of charge through May 31. These e-learnings cover critical leadership skills in 45 minutes or less:

• Feedback
• Coaching
• Difficult Conversations
• Delegating Effectively
• Motivating Performance

EWYSE

eWyse, the award-winning eLearning agency has just announced that it is today launching a series of free, high-quality eLearning tutorials which aim to upskill the thousands of educators & trainers who wish to provide educational content online.

The founders of the agency, which is based in Zagreb, Croatia, decided on the move because they noticed a huge growing demand from both educators, who wished to get their content out in a professional format, as well as learners, whose online numbers have ballooned both as a result of organic growth and also the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The first course can be found here. It will be followed by a series of more detailed tutorials that will provide even the most non-technical trainers with the ability to produce high-courses for their audiences.

EXCEL EASY

Microsoft Excel is one of the most used software applications of all
time. Hundreds of millions of people around the world use Microsoft
Excel. You can use Excel to enter all sorts of data and perform
financial, mathematical, or statistical calculations. Excel Easy offers a
complete tutorial on how to use Microsoft Excel, with more than 300 examples.

For more information, visit: https://www.excel-easy.com

FIERCE CONVERSATION

Fierce Conversation has launched a new, free online course focused on “shortening the distance” during the coronavirus pandemic, even with those in close proximity. Fierce Conversations for Social Distancing will teach participants how to have conversations that strengthen relationships using proprietary tools that have improved organizations for over 25 years.

Fierce Conversations for Social Distancing is broken out into 3 distinct lessons from Fierce leaders:

• Susan Scott, Founder & CEO discusses the importance of conversations with yourself during quarantine.  Participants will learn about the challenge of interrogating reality and why a personal stump speech should “sing to your soul,” especially in times like these.
• Ronna Detrick, SVP of Learning dives into key conversation skills used in the workplace and how she uses these same skills as a mom with grown daughters who have moved back into the family nest.
• Stacey Engle, President shares from her personal experience as a self-described extrovert working at home alongside her introverted husband and the ways they use Fierce Conversations to manage it all.

In addition to the course videos, participants will receive worksheets to further their learning. These include a personal stump speech template, a list of top 5 conversations to have with family and friends with tips for prioritizing these, along with 10 actionable conversation starters to use with your partner.

For more information, or to register, please visit www.shortenthedistance.fierceinc.com

FINGERPRINT FOR SUCCESS

Fingerprint for Success, a people analytics tool, recently released this extensive report on the high prevalence of burnout among workers and professionals, especially at this time of a pandemic when companies are transitioning their workforce into going fully remote or virtual. Burnout, while not a mental health illness, is closely identified by top institutions in the world as a mental health issue that directly affects productivity. The report contains many industry-wide stats that aim to spread awareness and also empower companies to provide solutions in order to protect and support the mental well-being of each worker and employee.

FITCH LEARNING

Fitch Learning announced that it is delivering four new virtual training courses in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to enable the global financial community to gain a greater insight into the economic challenges, investor behaviours, corporate liquidity issues and financial risks faced by the sector due to the coronavirus. The courses will be held online throughout June and July 2020.

• ‘Covid-19: Economic Implications’ examines the outlook for countries and banks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that this will have on the economic activities and the erosion of debt capacity which countries and banks will face.
• ‘Covid-19: Behavioural Finance – Lessons Learned’ takes a look at the main behavioural finance biases affecting investing behaviour and offers practical techniques for investment managers to limit their irrational decision making biases.
• ‘Covid-19 Analysing Corporate Liquidity’ provides an overview for anyone working in banking finance of how to analyse liquidity in the current COVID-19 situation and to define liquidity measures.
• ‘Covid-19: A Structured Approach to Corporate Credit Risk Management’ is designed to enable lenders to ensure the readiness of their front line teams (relationship managers and credit analysts) to deal with the unprecedented credit risk challenges posed by the coronavirus.

FLEXJOBS

FlexJobs, which specializes in remote work, recently created an Employer Guide for Ongoing Remote Work Success for companies to consider as they integrate remote work into their business model. Areas of our expertise include:

• Hiring and managing remote workers
• Building remote company culture
• Data and statistics re: remote work
• Employer and employee benefits of remote work
• Trends in the remote and flexible job marketplace
• Job search and career advice

Our Career Resources and Job Search Support During the Pandemic section provides valuable info on hiring trends for remote job seekers, such as 18 Companies Making Long-Term Commitment to Remote Work, Hiring Now.

GETABSTRACT

getAbstract, a 20-year-old company with an online library offering 20,000-plus text and audio summaries of business books is offering free subscriptions through May 18 with the goal of providing trusted and reliable information during the pandemic. Sign up at: http://getab.li/10o2 

GLOBAL LEARNING SYSTEMS (GLS)

Global Learning Systems (GLS) is making available a free online course to help educate at-home workers on how to avoid phishing scams and cyberattacks.

Click here for free online security awareness training, “Securing Your Work At Home”, along with resources and tips to increase productivity and establish good cybersecurity hygiene.

GO1

GO1, a leading network of the world’s top content providers and learning management systems, announced an integration with Microsoft Teams, enabling any organization using Teams to access one of the world’s largest libraries of online learning, and more. GO1 serves as the hub of the learning ecosystem, connecting to learning management systems and content providers. GO1 enables organizations to deliver their own learning content, or popular third- party content, in the systems they use every day, like Teams.

As part of the launch of the GO1 app for Teams, through the end of June 2020, the GO1 Premium subscription, with tens of thousands of learning resources, will be available for free to any organization using the GO1 Teams app.

To learn more about the GO1 app for Teams, visit: go1.com/teams-corporate (for businesses) or go1.com/teams-edu (for educational institutions). Questions can be directed to support@go1.com.

GOSKILLS

Online learning company GoSkills helps people learn business skills to reach their personal and professional goals. With a GoSkills.com subscription, members receive personalized courses consisting of bite-sized and interactive content to train in subjects such as Excel, Six Sigma, Project Management, and Design.

GoSkills has cut its subscription cost to $199 (a 33 percent discount) and will begin to offer COVID-19-specific training, as well as general career coaching for free to its Enterprise users.

GREYCAMPUS

Economies across countries have taken a big hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs and most fear the future. In these difficult times, Edtech firm GreyCampus has launched various courses to help professionals get back on their feet and to have a brighter future.

GreyCampus launched an array of free Microsoft Courses to help professionals upskill during the COVID-19 situation. These courses will help learners build real-world skills and gain Microsoft certification. For more information please visit: https://www.greycampus.com/e-learning/microsoft-courses.

GROUP HARMONICS

Ed Muzio of Group Harmonics is sharing “Iterate” resources previously unavailable on an open basis. This PDF of access instructions will provide access to quick solutions to some of the most pressing management problems of the day, such as:

• Meetings getting derailed with worry or losing focus
• Groups making commitments but failing to execute
• Employees requesting too much of their managers’ time
• And more… including the option to take an assessment that will direct you to additional assistance based upon your most important needs

Muzio also was invited to an expert think tank to share his thoughts on how the current situation is shaping the present and future of work. To hear his thoughts, click here.

In addition, Amazon is running a promotion on the Kindle version of Muzio’s book, “Iterate” for the month of April.

HEADSPACE

Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, is sharing free Headspace for Work tools and resources (previously made available to customers) to address teams and businesses all around the world that are being affected by the growing public health crisis. 

Headspace is sharing curated mindfulness content, resources, and a tailored toolkit to help teams all over the world navigate the uncertainty and take care of their minds. The new collection of meditations and exercises (available to all employees and employers for free) is designed to help us weather the storm together.

It also is providing free Headspace Plus subscriptions to health-care professionals working in public health settings in the U.S. through 2020 to address rising levels of stress and burnout. Headspace also will be unlocking the free, specially curated “Weathering the Storm” collection of meditation and mindfulness content for consumers in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
For information, visit: 

https://www.headspace.com/work/covid-19 and https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/headspace-announces-new-efforts-to-help-consumers-healthcare-providers-curb-rising-stress-and-anxiety-301024557.html

Headspace also found a recent study discovered that 45 percent of Americans said the Coronavirus crisis is impacting their mental health, yet current stay-at-home orders can make it hard to seek mental health help in a traditional way. Fortunately, there are many digital tools to help people stay connected and maintain healthy routines. But finding the right resources can be challenging and time-consuming. That’s why Headspace created a guide to help people easily find support by rounding up the most popular and unique apps that provide mental wellbeing, productivity, nutrition, and fitness tips. For more information, visit: https://www.isp.com/blog/15-apps-to-keep-you-healthy-while-sheltering-in-place/ 

HERRMANN INTERNATIONAL

Herrmann International, creator of the Whole Brain Thinking System, is offering a variety of resources, including:

• Remote Work E-book: https://engage.thinkherrmann.com/remote-work-ebook
• Remote Work Webinar: https://www.thinkherrmann.com/leading-remote-teams-work-from-home-webinar
• Decision-Making in Crisis Article & WalkAround: https://blog.thinkherrmann.com/making-effective-decisions-during-crisis-leader-team

IAM LEARNING

iAM Learning have launched a free remote working course for conscientious employers looking for ways to support their teams during these unprecedented times.

Remote Working 101 is a short course, broken down into 10 video lessons that cover everything from personal productivity to mental health warning signs and advice on dealing with stress.

Learners will gain the skills they need to keep safe and productive and discover essential advice and resources to support their mental health and wellbeing – something the eLearning content providers at iAM Learning feel is more important now than ever before.

Completely free, the course can be taken online or businesses with their own Learning Management System can choose to download the SCORM files and add the course to their own learning platform. It’s theirs to keep.

To take the course, visit https://info.iamlearningcontent.com/remoteworking-free now!

IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

With many of us self-isolating at the moment, In Professional Development (INPD) is finding that its members are using their spare time to focus on their personal and professional development. In response, INPD is offering 25% off all its online 1-day training courses, making them more accessible and cost effective to all. To get your discount, simply use code INPD25 when you book online.

In Professional Development provides high-quality leadership and management programmes to professionals across all sectors. Working closely with both individuals, via its virtual and open courses, and businesses, through its in-house training service, to help them unlock their full potentials. INPD’s programs are delivered by industry expert tutors and have been designed to enhance the delegates’ knowledge and skill set using the latest industry concepts, trends, and tools. Working its academic partners, INPD offers accredited programs such as the Executive Mini-MBA program and Directors Development Program (accredited by the University of Chester (WBIS)) and the Level 7 Senior Leadership Program (accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)). View INPD’s full range of courses at: www.inpd.co.uk/courses. If you would like to know more, visit the customer testimonials page at: https://inpd.co.uk/about/customer-testimonials/.

If you have any questions about your training requirements or wish to speak to a member of the team, contact Jon Palmer at j.palmer@inpdteam.co.uk or 07774545819.

INFO-TECH RESEARCH GROUP AND MCLEAN & COMPANY

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

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 dependents.

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

Info-Tech Research Group has also developed a wide range of customized COVID-19-specific resources to help IT departments through the next few weeks, months, and beyond. To learn more visit The Info-Tech COVID 19 Resource Center and Cost Management Center.

To find HR specific research on managing COVID-19 related issues, visit: McLean & Company’s COVID-19 Resource Center.

INSTILLED

Now more than ever, we need to keep people connected and informed. It has been our business to prepare you for a future digital workforce—none of us expected to have to make the transition so soon and so quickly. But when the world changes, you must change with it.

Gain free access to Instilled for the next 90 days and news feeds from Anders Pink. As soon as you begin, you’ll access these feeds but you can choose exactly what you need once you start:

Employee motivation and engagement for virtual teams

• The Future of Work
• Staying well during Covid-19
• Top tips on working from home
• Tips on homeschooling while working from home

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS

We found in a recent study that 45% of Americans said the coronavirus crisis is impacting their mental health, yet current stay-at-home orders can make it hard to seek mental health help in a traditional way. Fortunately, there are many digital tools to help people stay connected and maintain healthy routines. However, we know finding the right resources can be challenging and time-consuming.

That’s why we created a guide to help you easily find support. We rounded up the most popular and unique apps that provide mental wellbeing, productivity, nutrition and fitness tips.

You can check them out here: https://www.isp.com/blog/15-apps-to-keep-you-healthy-while-sheltering-in-place/ 

INTREPID BY VITALSOURCE

Intrepid by VitalSource is offering its skills and capabilities to be of service to workplace Learning professionals. Its collaborative learning platform is purpose-built to migrate classroom learning programs to impactful digital learning experiences.

For current customers who may have new teams or team members who want to use the Intrepid platform but lack experience with it, the company is offering free consulting sessions to help teams get started with new programs on the Intrepid by VitalSource platform over the next few months. And, at no charge for new customers, the company will provide a package of consulting services to help new customers assess program needs, design their program, and train their team. Finally, for all learning programs focused on COVID-19 education, awareness, and communication provided by healthcare or non-governmental organizations, Intrepid by VitalSource will provide use of the Intrepid platform at no charge.

Here’s a post from Intrepid by VitalSource VP/GM Sam Herring about workplace learning and the company’s response to COVID-19 situation:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-workplace-learning-must-adapt-meet-covid-19-sam-herring/

For more information, visit: 

https://blog.intrepidlearning.com/resources/intrepids-response-to-covid-19-for-the-workplace-learning-community

KAPLAN PROFESSIONAL 

Kaplan Professional, in collaboration with CyberVista, is offering free online educational courses for select industry-recognized credentials to colleges and universities in the United States. The online courses being made available to university students include:

• Securities Industry Essentials (SIE)
• Wealth Management Specialist (WMS)
• Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP)
• Fundamentals of Civil Engineering (FE)
• Security+ Online Solution
• Cybersecurity Critical Knowledge Course

Effective immediately, and until the end of July 2020, universities interested in making these programs available to students should contact Kaplan Professional, and an online enrollment and education portal will be quickly made available.

Colleges and universities interested in participating can complete this request form or e-mail workplaceready@kaplan.com

Kaplan Professional also is offering free online education and skills development courses to individuals who have been furloughed or laid off from their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals can access the portal directly through https://professionalskillsfitness.kaplan.com/. Additional courses will be added to the library on an ongoing basis and as demand warrants.

KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, USA INC.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), is proud to introduce its Return to Work program, a comprehensive solution that supports employees’ safe return to office locations and provides ongoing, best-in-class security with facial recognition and access control.

The Return to Work program clearly sets Konica Minolta apart as the first organization to offer a comprehensive solution to address new legal guidelines as businesses reopen, as well as the challenges employers will face to ensure employee safety. Return to Work streamlines the process of assessing and monitoring employees as they enter their building. Through an integrated cloud-based application for data collection, the solution ensures businesses can track, manage and report on each individual’s entry in compliance with company and state requirements.

Virtual health check and first-level screening

A company’s Return to Work journey begins with daily employee self reporting, which can be done before arrival at the office by completing and submitting an eform via email or text. Based on the response, the employee is either advised to stay at home or report to work.

Second-level screening

Upon arrival at the office, employees proceed to a second level of screening with a MOBOTIX Thermal Camera . If results are in compliance with company guidelines, employees move to Corporate Access Control and enter the office through normal authentication protocols. If results are out of compliance with company guidelines, HR advises the employee per company policy, (e.g., go home).

Contact tracing and incident management

Incident management is initiated by opening a case with the COVID Employee Disease Control Management System to track employees until they return to work. Throughout the entire process, data from eforms, thermal screenings and HR records are securely stored in a centralized, cloud-based digital repository for retrieval, review and COVID-19 reporting.

Return to Work can also incorporate Konica Minolta’s virtual receptionist technology, ALICE, a virtual visitor management system that interacts with visitors entering a lobby. ALICE uses a touch screen and live video technology to directly connect visitors with employees, greeting them and notifying staff when a visitor enters an office space.

KPA

Today, KPA, a leading software, consulting services, and training provider of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) and Workforce Compliance solutions, released the Return to Work Program to help businesses reopen safely following the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The new product provides tools, content, and training courses to help businesses minimize environmental health and safety (EHS) risks and meet U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state specific regulations. Housed within KPA’s Vera Suite software, the Return to Work Program allows customers to schedule, track, and document all activities so there is proof of compliance.

KPA is offering two versions of the Return to Work Program:

Return to Work Fundamentals

Return to Work Fundamentals provides customers with a comprehensive online toolset of assets and training, including time-saving templates, readiness assessments and checklists for re-opening procedures, facility hygiene, and daily wellness. The Program also includes EPA-approved COVID-19 disinfectant and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) guidance, industry-specific handbook and policy guides for returning to work, a new return to work online training module, and nearly 30 additional fact sheets, signs, and posters that can help organizations be confident they are ready to bring their employees back to work and stay compliant.

To remain compliant, KPA will be tracking and updating the Program’s content as federal and state governments continue to change their regulatory requirements.

Return to Work Plus

In addition to having access to all the Fundamentals Program content, Return to Work Plus gives clients access to KPA’s certified team of 125+ health and safety consulting experts who will help them customize handbooks, policies, and inspections specific to their business practices and state guidance.

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic requires unprecedented levels of diligence from businesses to ensure the risk of spread is minimized as much as possible. As an EHS and HR compliance software and services organization, KPA’s mission is to identify, remedy, and prevent workplace safety and compliance risks for our clients. KPA’s COVID-19 Coronavirus Resource Center  continues to provide information to help businesses keep their workforce healthy and safe. The Resource Center includes five safety training courses, several webinars, checklists, and the latest updates from KPA’s team of experts in Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Human Resources.

For more information, visit: www.kpa.io or call 866.356.1735

LEAPGEN

Leapgen, a global digital transformation company shaping the Now of Work, announced the Now of Work Digital Movement. Resources include a 24/7 global online community powered by Slack; LeapNow, an online platform powered by Leapgen and ServiceNow in a creative partnership with The Anti to provide resources and immediate access to industry experts to answer questions and provide help; digital media providing real-time coaching and guidance on topics affecting people, business, and work; and a newly launched podcast.

LeapNow is a help desk built on the ServiceNow platform. It features a robust knowledge base, Ask-an-Expert digital coaching staffed by Leapgen’s deep bench of industry analysts and workforce management consultants, and a global online community with 24/7 access to industry peers and thought leaders. Leapgen formed a strategic partnership with Slack to support and scale the NOW of Work community, which includes HR, technology, and business professionals solving new problems in real time around the globe.

Leapgen also announces the NOW of Work Podcast, available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else listeners get their podcasts. Thought-provoking interviews are also provided through a Daily Digital Dose Youtube playlist; subscribe here.

LEMONADELXP 

LemonadeLXP, an all-in-one learning experience platform for financial institutions, is offering its Digital Academy free of charge until the end of June to support customers and call center/support staff as they migrate to digital channels. Digital Academy allows financial institutions to quickly author a branded, fully responsive, WCAG AA-compliant online hub with simulations and guides to support customers and front-line staff.

For more information, e-mail: hello@lemonadelxp.com

LINUX FOUNDATION

The Linux Foundation is announcing a new resource to help more people understand what Edge Computing is and how it works. In partnership with edX, the non-profit online education platform started by Harvard and MIT, we are now offering a free online training course, Business Considerations for Edge Computing, in addition to more than 20+ other completely free courses at the Linux Foundation.

The course explains what Edge Computing is, what problems it is solving and how it is supporting the rise of 5G, AI and IoT. It also covers data privacy and security considerations, share examples of where businesses are innovating with Edge and open source projects that are defining the future of Edge and the hybrid computing world. It is great for anyone who wants to gain a high level understanding of the concepts and terminology involved in this technology.

View the blog post and a short video here.  

LOGILITY, INC.

Logility, Inc., automating the digital transformation of supply chain optimization and advanced retail planning, announced all online Logility University educational courses, as well as certification testing, will be available to customers free of charge through April 30, 2020.

The Logility University curriculum provides customers the opportunity to accelerate their digital supply chain planning team’s expertise through two levels of education and certification:

• The Foundation Level focuses on basic supply chain and system knowledge.
• The Advanced Level course highlights the application of supply chain knowledge to solve business challenges.

Open now through April 30, 2020, there is no limit to the number of classes a customer can take. Once a customer starts a class they will have 30 days to complete it. Classes are not transferrable.

To learn more or to sign up, visit: https://training.logility.com/.

For more information, visit www.logility.com.

LUCY SECURITY 

To address the security risks caused by employees working from home due to COVID-19, Lucy Security, a global provider of cybersecurity training and services, launched a free, open educational platform, WorkfromHome. The new Website offers free professional videos, courses, checklists, quizzes, and other teaching materials on safer ways to work from home.

Access Lucy Security’s new educational platform at: https://workfromhome.education

For more information, visti: www.lucysecurity.com.

MCCLEAN & COMPANY
HR firm McLean & Company, part of Info-Tech Research Group has released a step-by-step guide and blueprint titled ‘Bring Employees Back to the Workplace Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic’. The blueprint helps HR leaders plan for and enable a safe return of employees to the workplace, by offering various levels of support including a DIY toolkit, guided implementations, workshops, and consulting services.

meQUILIBRIUM

To help employees develop skills to deal with uncertainty and give HR leaders tools to become more resilient organizations, meQuilibrium is offering a free online package of resources, including an on-demand Webinar, “Uncertainty in a Time of Coronavirus” featuring meQuilibrium’s co-founders and resilience experts, Jan Bruce, CEO; Adam Perlman, MD, MPH, FACP, Chief Medical Officer; and Andrew Shatte, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer. Dr. Perlman also serves as Director of Integrative Health and Wellbeing for Mayo Clinic Florida. Dr. Shatte is an expert on resilience and a Brookings Institute Fellow. The Webinar is designed to help people rebound productively in challenging situations like the Coronavirus epidemic.

To access the free Webinar and other resources, visit meQuilibrium.

MEDTRAINER

MedTrainer—a healthcare compliance solutions provider—announced it is offering complimentary online training to help healthcare professionals stay up to date with changing regulations surrounding the pandemic while following best practices for infection control, risk assessment and compliance.

The resource page, found here includes:

• Online courses on preparedness, hygiene and patient care
• A webinar on HIPAA privacy and security exceptions
• Downloadable informational materials
• Quick links to information from the CDC, CMS, FEMA, The Joint Commission, AAAHC and OSHA

The company also recently announced the availability of a digital toolkit designed to meet the compliance and learning management needs of long-term care and assisted-living facilities. The digital toolkit offers facility administrators ways to distribute critical information and automate processes necessary for meeting compliance and ensuring the safety of residents, including a special focus on COVID-19 prevention and protection. The features are designed to help administrators:

• Update guidelines, including social distancing measures for residents, staff and visitors.
• Establish protocols for onboarding, training and equipment requirements.
• Organize documentation for compliance during and following CMS temporary waivers.
• Digitize policies and procedures for easy access.
• Train staff according to job function.
• Manage training for all staff with a system that sends reminder notifications of required and upcoming training.
• Quickly provide essential documentation for site visits and surveys with a convenient reporting function.
• Create a culture of safety and compliance that meets the standards of regulatory agencies and builds trust between staff and residents.

MYABILITIES TECHNOLOGIES INC.

MyAbilities, a leader in smart health technology and workplace safety, is offering a free two-month trial of ROSA, the Rapid Office Strain Assessment, a self-assessment tool for office ergonomics that provides guidance on proper setup for your computer workstation. There is no commitment and no automatic renewal.

The company also is providing a list of ergonomics tips to help workers adjust to home office environments:

1. Keep moving. Sitting with your laptop on your knees and your neck bent down while on your couch is going to cause neck and back pain. Whenever possible, move between the couch, your desk, kitchen table, etc. Movement is key to preventing pain when you might not have dedicated office furniture.

2. The laptop was meant for travel—and we’re all at home now. Remember that laptops were meant for portability—when you have the opportunity to plug your laptop into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, take that chance.

3. Be the MacGyver of your own office ergonomics. You might not have as many adjustments on your dining room chairs as you do with your office task chair, but take advantage of things like a rolled-up towel to give you more lumbar support, use a phone book or old textbook to elevate your monitor while using a keyboard.

4. The neck and shoulder hold gets tiring really fast. Most of us have Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. These typically have a microphone built in. Avoid holding your cellphone between your neck and shoulder when you’re on conference calls and make the most out of these headsets.

To learn more about the ROSA, or any other programs from MyAbilities, visit: https://myabilities.com/

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS (NI)

National Instruments (NI), which develops high-performance automated test and automated measurement systems to help solve engineering challenges, announced plans to support the global engineering community during the COVID-19 disruption by providing free access to all NI online training at least through April 30. Additional virtual instructor-led learning experiences, modeled after its regional classroom training program, also are available at a reduced cost.

The curriculum offers engineers and industry professionals an opportunity to earn credentials, such as Certified LabVIEW Developer and Architect, at a time when they may face gaps in their schedules. Courses are offered in six languages, including English, French, Spanish, simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese.

The entire course catalog, along with more information on instructor-led learning, is available now at learn.ni.com/training.

NDI (PART OF THE VIZRT GROUP)

NDI, part of the Vizrt Group, is making its new NDI|HX Capture for iOS and its NDI|HX Camera for iOS applications available for free for the next 60 days. These applications, used in conjunction with the free NDI Tools software, enable the convenient creation of content, be that the action from a mobile game or live video in broadcast quality. Both apps are available now for download from the Apple iOS App Store and normally retail at $10 and $20 respectively.

The NDI|HX Camera app turns the iPhone in your pocket into a 4K broadcast quality camera system, optimized for remote live content creation. The app turns an iPhone into a high-quality Webcam that will work with popular applications such as MS Teams, Skype, and Zoom. To activate the NDI|HX Camera app, follow the instructions in this video tutorial.

Both apps are available to download free of charge until June 1, 2020, and require an updated version of the free to download NDI Tools to be installed on the user’s computer. NDI Tools can be downloaded from: https://www.ndi.tv/tools/#download-tools

For more information, visit: http://www.ndi.tv

NEXT ELEMENT CONSULTING

Next Element Consulting is offering a series of three blogs focused on resources for coping with COVID-19:

https://next-element.com/how-to-communicate-with-compassion-during-crisis/

https://next-element.com/how-to-help-different-personality-types-navigate-crisis-and-uncertainty/

https://next-element.com/why-drama-is-your-greatest-threat-during-crisis-and-how-to-respond-with-compassion/

The company’s new landing page features its best virtual instructor-led training (VILT) options for combatting drama with compassion.

NOVOED

To support corporations with this accelerated transition to online learning, NovoEd—which provides a collaborative online learning platform for the enterprise—introduced its COVID-19 Resource Center, a content hub providing companies with free access to webinars, ebooks, blog posts, infographics and other pieces of content that focus on how to quickly transition onsite training programs online during these unprecedented times.

To learn more about and access NovoEd’s COVID-19 Resource Center for assistance in migrating on-site training online, click here.

PENN FOSTER, SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY, AND GUILD EDUCATION

Healthcare workers and volunteers have a new resource to learn safe and accurate testing for the COVID-19 virus, thanks to a free program launched by a coalition of education and training providers. The short-form course, developed by Penn Foster in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University and Guild Education, responds to an urgent and growing need for skilled health-care professionals as the virus continues to spread throughout the United States. The new program instructs health professionals and volunteers on the fundamentals of testing for the COVID-19 virus, including symptoms, hygiene precautions, and correct medical procedures. Intended for qualified health-care employees and volunteers to use under the supervision of medical professionals, the course will enable health-care providers to expand the pool of talent for administering tests at a time when the need is becoming increasingly critical.

Since the launch of the program last week, more than 1,100 front-line health-care workers—including pharmacy technicians, nurses, and medical assistants—have participated in the training.

For more information, visit: 

https://www.partners.pennfoster.edu

PSI SERVICES

In order to promote Emotional Intelligence in these challenging times, PSI Services has introduced a free online program, with the goal of helping individuals manage their emotional response to the current crisis. Jill Pennington, Consulting Director for PSI Talent Management, says this program will equip people with the tools they need to better manage themselves, other people, and their organization through the current crisis by supporting simple and actionable behavior change.

Here are PSI’s Emotional Intelligence offerings available now:

• The EI Zone app – free access to download PSI’s app, full of information and activities designed to build EI.
• Practical EI videos – short videos recorded by PSI’s Talent Management experts, with advice and tips to help you manage your emotional response to the crisis, and to keep yourself as well and effective as possible. Topics include an introduction to EI, maintaining focus, staying well, and remote team working.
• Leadership Lounges – practical webinars for leaders. These sessions cover leading in a crisis, maintaining your own and your team’s well-being, and communicating in a virtual landscape.

R3 CONTINUUM

R3 Continuum (R3c), a leader in disruptive event management, formalized a COVID-19 support team to harness its expertise and resources, making them available for organizations that are navigating the fast-paced and compounding impacts of this global pandemic. 

Available under its Strategic Crisis Management program, R3c’s COVID-19 Support Team includes occupational medicine, infectious disease, and emergency department physicians, crisis management specialists, public health experts, corporate medical directors, risk management professionals, Ph.D.s in psychology and organizational human resource development, federal officers, security directors, and emergency management directors.

R3c offers consulting and advisory services, including:

• On-demand advisory support for questions
• Participating on client crisis management teams
• Just-in-Time, scenario-based plan development (pandemic planning)
• Daily intelligence/analysis reports
• Statistical modeling of the virus behavior
• Location, country, regional forecasts
• Crisis communications support
• Employee communications support
• Leadership education to support employees
• Employee/individual education on coping with changes
• Counseling for individuals and families (telephonic)
• Technology-based counseling and information support (Artificial Intelligence smartphone app)

For more information, visit:

www.R3c.com

RELIAS

As a part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Relias, specializing in healthcare education solutions and services, released a new feature on its learning platform that allows its 10,000-plus healthcare clients to host live trainings online. Named Virtual Classroom, the feature was released over nine months ahead of schedule to help healthcare providers safely train incoming personnel while minimizing, and in some cases eliminating, in-person interaction.

Relias is providing clients with free access to its core features for up to three months. In addition, Relias is sharing its education and training resources to help organizations and communities easily obtain accurate information and tools to help navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The free digital toolkit, created for healthcare personnel and individuals, includes unrestricted access to online courses and resources on infection prevention, telehealth and more.

The full-featured version of the Virtual Classroom is scheduled to launch by early 2021.

REMOTE.CO

As a definitive resource on remote work, Remote.co offers free insight and advice on critical topics and challenges that businesses transitioning some or all of its workforce to a remote environment may face. 

Remote.co’s Q&A section features direct feedback from 140-plus remote-forward teams and companies on key topics impacting virtual work environments. Each section below is elaborated on using extensive interviews from fully virtual companies/or teams.

Click on each header for more information on best practices regarding remote work management.

• What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
• What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?
• What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?
• What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?
• What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
• How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
• What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
• How do you nurture your company’s culture in a remote work environment?
• Do you have remote communication protocols for your remote workers?
• How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
• How does your team address different time zone challenges?

FlexJobs, Remote.co’s sister site, also has created an Emergency Preparedness Section to supplement these resources and is hosting a Webinar on Tuesday, March 24, at 12pm ET: How Employers Can Prepare for Remote Work. This will be recorded. To register, visit: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NPn4Ql5zQZyivtN_lfkAqA

Remote.co’s section featuring insights from remote workers themselves also may be useful to employees who are new to working from home.

To talk to a remote work expert, contact Kathy Gardner at: kgardner@flexjobs.com.

For more information, visit: 

http://remote.co

SAFETURE

Safeture AB today launched www.openupforbusiness.com website to provide people with free access to accurate and real-time information on virus restrictions so they can plan their next business or family trip. This is the first interactive mapping tool to help viewers see which Covid-19 restrictions apply to specific countries and is available to embed on other sites free of charge.

“Safeture has access to a ton of critical data, so it makes sense for us to package it together and make it free to the world,” said Magnus Hultman, CEO of Safeture. “Countries are slowly beginning to ease restrictions, so it is critical businesses, and families have accurate information so they can safely plan for their next trips. It was important for us to provide this interactive map for free and make the coding available for embedding on other sites to help the world get back on its feet and open up for business.”

We now have a full global pandemic forcing the world into lockdown. But each country and even regions, have their own approach to lockdown restrictions, making it difficult to keep track of the range of rules. Slowly, the world is easing its restrictions, and Safeture’s free tool gathers all the available restrictions data from around the world and collects it all on one interactive map, which is the first of its kind in the world.

According to the OECD, the global economy misses out on around USD25 billion if the economic output decreases 10 percent each day under the current Covid-19 restrictions.

The map includes information about area lockdowns, quarantine measures, flight restrictions, school closures, and links to more information. The data is continuously monitored and updated by Safeture analysis team, a critical step since each day, there are enough updates to fill a 1,000-page book, equivelant to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

The more people that get access to this information to make the right decisions, the faster the economy can begin to recover. Let us open up for business.

As a service to any other media owner, we have made the Covid-19 restrictions map available to embed on another site, free of charge.

SAFETYTEK SOFTWARE

The co-founders of SafetyTek Software felt they needed to help companies where workers continue to interact with each other or the public, including employees of businesses providing essential services, such as construction, utilities, grocers, pharmacies, and delivery firms. So they released a new SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis solution and are making it available for free. 

The SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis standalone solution is an extension of the cloud-based SafetyTek Workplace Safety Engagement Platform being used by companies across North America. With it, managers can:

• Review a COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis Dashboard using their computers or mobile phones for a status of workers’ exposure to COVID-19.
• Upload employee e-mails for sending out group communications efficiently.
• Send company or government updates about COVID-19 to workers.
• Provide employees with a simple COVID-19 self-assessment form they can use to self-report their status via their mobile devices.
• Have the scalability, reliability, and performance needed to manage their COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Companies can access the solution at: https://safetytek.io/covid-19.

SHACKLETON GROUP

Having spent a significant amount of our time leading and working in that environment, a new 45-minute podcast, Leading in Virtual Environments (LIVE) can help guide your audience through these changing times.

It was created by Shackleton Group’s CEO and COO Ed Gillcrist and Mike Westman, who have spent more than 30 years leading remotely.

LIVE is a highly focused, high-impact podcast available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play that equips leaders and their team members with needle-mover concepts, techniques, and tools to operate and respond to the organization and its clients immediately in any virtual environment.

SHL

SHL, a leader in talent innovation, is offering free access to its entire virtual solution suite to help unite the world’s workforce as businesses adjust and evolve amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As the global workforce begins to work from home and travel becomes restricted, SHL Virtual offers the capability to screen high volumes of candidates, conduct live and recorded interviews, and advance development plans.

SHL Virtual includes Live Video Interview, Video Interview, Coding Interview, and the Virtual Assessment and Development Center platform—all of which allow businesses to stay connected throughout their Talent Acquisition and Talent Management programs.

SHL employs over 300 Occupational Psychologists, and we have 45 billion benchmarking data points with which to research behavior, personality, skill set, and motivation. Our team utilizes this information to deliver useful content in everyday life, and now even more so, in a time of crisis.

Podcasts

• Creating a safe environment for employees post COVID (with special guest Cory Chalmers, creator of the TV show Hoarders)
• Keeping displaced workers engaged
• Leadership during times of crisis
• The Role and Importance of Women in Leadership
• Using Blockchain Technology to Usher in the Internet of Careers

Blogs

• 5 top tips for balancing people and business during COVID-19
• The phases of change: how we must evolve to influence a positive future
• Feeling remote? Tips on staying productive from a remote work veteran
• See and Be Seen: Inclusive Language Matters in Growing a Diverse Workforce
• 3 Steps That Corporate Leaders Can Take to Address Racism in the Workplace
• Uniting Science and AI Technology in Talent Assessment

SIMPLESHOW

Simpleshow creates explanations via short, simple, and engaging videos, which enable everyone to understand anything. During these challenging times, the company has created a free video explaining best practices for working at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR30lLDLXY4&t

The company also believes it’s important for anyone to be able to create their own explanation. So it developed mysimpleshow (https://www.mysimpleshow.com/) that lets you create a unique video with no experience needed. During this time of crisis, simpleshow is offering a free enterprise license to anyone with official press credentials. If you are interested in getting access, send an e-mail to dana.gibilaro@simpleshow.com with the subject of the email “PRESS.”

For more information, e-mail: paul.meyer@simpleshow.com or call 305.409.7451.

SIMTUTOR INC

As new and retired healthcare workers worldwide join the COVID-19 workforce and in support of their training needs, SimTutor Inc is offering access to its library of nearly 200 online simulation-based training modules at special low pricing. These online training simulations can ready graduating students for patient care as well as provide healthcare professionals access to clinical skills refresher or satisfy competency training requirements from any location, anytime. For details, contact info@simtutor.com.

SimTutor created three free healthcare procedure simulations for workers caring for patients with infectious diseases:

1. Hand hygiene with soap and water
2. Hand hygiene with hand sanitizer
3. How to don and doff the required personal protection equipment (PPE) for isolation protocol

SKILLSOFT

Skillsoft is offering a free Leadercamp: Leading in the New Normal, which will be a live, virtual, instructor-led, and interactive learning experience designed to support the workforce as we prepare to return to work following social distancing. The event takes place May 26-28.

The three-day Leadercamp will take participants through training that starts first with taking care of oneself: building leadership resilience, agility, and responsiveness. The Leadercamp will also cover how to inspire, influence, and engage others. The three-day event ends with a strategic approach for enabling our teams and our organizations to design a path forward.

Following completion of Leadercamp: Leading in the New Normal, leaders will be empowered to:

1. Build resilience and agility to set appropriate urgency, to pivot, and to persevere effectively.
2. Deploy effective tools to engage and inspire teams during times of uncertainty and change.
3. Set leadership vision and strategy for forward momentum in complex, rapidly evolving environments.

STARLEAF

Video conferencing software company StarLeaf introduced a free version of its software in the United States. This means new customers can sign up to StarLeaf and host their own free meetings. The free version of StarLeaf is available worldwide and across all devices, requiring only an Internet connection and an e-mail address to get started. For existing StarLeaf customers who suddenly need increased access for remote working, StarLeaf is also introducing new flexible licenses, which allows businesses and organizations to add more capacity for three months only.

Details on StarLeaf’s videoconferencing solutions can be seen at: 

StarLeaf.com/solutions/features-and-services/video-conferencing/

STARRED

Starred teamed up with best-selling author and HR expert Debra Corey to design a free special survey for the current health crisis, which can help companies understand the pain points in their organization and how to solve these while at a distance during this health crisis.

Starred decided to give away this survey and HR feedback software for free, with absolutely no catch or obligation. Working from home makes it harder for you to have a clear picture of your employees’ well-being, so hopefully, we can contribute to making this easier for you.

SURVEYMONKEY

Global survey software company SurveyMonkey launched several new resources to help address the challenges many are faced with during the COVID-19 global crisis. The new resources include:

Real-time data: Tracked through SurveyMonkey Audience, anyone now can have access to the latest data on Americans’ thoughts and feelings about coronavirus, the economy, and everything in between.

Survey Questionnaire Templates: With many people working remotely, leaders can use survey questionnaire templates to help understand what their employees are thinking, feeling, and prioritizing during the COVID-19 crisis. Similarly, school systems face unique logistical challenges as they attempt to implement distance learning programs for students with variable needs and access to resources. Written by the company’s survey research experts, these new survey templates can help users easily collect, analyze, and act on feedback. Templates include:

Coronavirus template for leaders and HR: Designed for executive leadership teams to keep a pulse on employees’ wellbeing and ensure they have the support to work remotely.

Work from home check-in: Designed to be sent regularly by managers to assess whether employees who are working remotely have the proper support.

K-12 Distance Learning: Designed to help K-12 school administrators understand how to best serve students and parents in a distance learning environment. For a period of time, SurveyMonkey is also offering discounted plans for students and educators.

An additional resource is available to help users understand and decide if they should send a survey, and a step-by-step guide on deploying a coronavirus employee survey.

For those who are looking for other ways to help, SurveyMonkey offers charitable incentives of 50 cents per completed survey, providing donations for partner charities of the respondents’ choice through its Contribute platform.

TECHSCHOLAR

TechScholar, a product sales training software provider, launched its new TechScholar University (TSU) portal, a low-cost, fast-track model to train remote sales rep teams.

As a proprietary, cloud-based software solution, TechScholar’s platform is specifically designed to train geographically dispersed sales reps, eliminating the time, cost, and now the potential health risk of in-person sales training.

Visit www.techscholar.com and click on “Cloud-Based Travel” for information on TechScholar’s new COVID-19 solution. 

TECHSMITH

To help do its part at making remote communications a little easier during this difficult time, TechSmith is offering fully functional complementary versions of its Snagit and Video Review products that will remain in operation through June 30.

TechSmith Snagit is a screen capture and recording tool that lets users quickly create and share images and videos. TechSmith Video Review is an online video collaboration tool for online, collaborative discussions and conversations around the content you upload and share.

To learn more, visit:

http://bit.ly/2UaICLh

TOP HAT

Top Hat is providing its platform at no additional cost, which will include administering secure, proctored online exams students can complete at home. Among other things, this includes:

Verifying students’ identities to ensure the right students are taking the test

Monitoring student activity live and flagging irregular student behaviors using sophisticated artificial intelligence

Generating an easy-to-understand proctor report for faculty to review

The company is offering this new functionality in addition to Top Hat’s entire active learning platform for free to those who need help transitioning their courses online for the rest of the term.

For more information, visit: 

tophat.com

TORCH LEADERSHIP

Torch Leadership Labs just launched its first direct to consumer small group coaching to help leaders navigate during times of crisis.

This offering was born out of feedback from Torch’s community around the difficulty of trying to lead during a crisis while trying to maintain their own psychic balance. In response, Torch brought this month-long course to the market in record-time at the most affordable cost they could provide.

Torch’s coaches will look to provide a very personalized coaching experience in a supportive, secure virtual environment to go over three sessions:

• Leading Through Uncertainty
• Achieving Results: Compassion + Accountability
• Leveling Up Your Leadership

For more information, click here.

In addition, Torch, and Radical Candor, an executive education company co-founded by Kim Scott, author of the bestselling book Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, together announce the launch of a new month-long course called “The Radically Candid Coach.”  The course launches May 27 and will run for four weeks. Those interested can register at: https://lp.torch.io/the-radically-candid-coach/.

TRAINERS WAREHOUSE

Trainers Warehouse has developed a slew of online resources including FREE Conversation Starters (beautifully “packaged” in a snazzy, ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation) and also remote Communication Skill building and TEAM BUILDING EXPERIENCES, including the late Jean Barbazette’s Murder Mystery Game and the Zin Obelisk game.

This blog post for virtual icebreakers also is a useful resource:

https://blog.trainerswarehouse.com/virtual-icebreakers

TRAINUP

A vast Web-based corporate training marketplace, TrainUp.com connects learners to training courses in hundreds of categories among business skills, IT, leadership, HR, harassment prevention, Microsoft Office, and more. It partners with industry-leading training providers to present options for high-quality instructor-led classes and self-paced online/eLearning courses. TrainUp.com specializes in corporate learning solutions, including group/on-site training, custom eLearning, continuous feedback & HR tech software. More than 60,000 companies, including 92 percent of the Fortune 500, have purchased training through TrainUp.com.

TRALIANT

Traliant, an innovator in online sexual harassment training, announced a new training course, “COVID-19: Returning to the Workplace,” designed for employees who have been working from home or have been on leave to complete before their first day back. The interactive course helps prepare employees physically and psychologically to navigate an evolving work environment, and will be regularly updated with new information and guidelines.

For more information, visit: Covid-19: Returning to the Workplace

The company also released a free episode of its Sparks video series to help organizations keep workplace behaviors respectful and avoid coronavirus discrimination during the COVID-19 crisis. The 4-minute Sparks Special Report is available at no charge at: Avoiding Coronavirus Discrimination

Some blog posts that may be of interest include:

Blog posts

• COVID-19 Training: Readying Employees To Return To the Workplace
• 4 Training Topics To Maintain Workplace Culture During COVID-19
• Time To Train Remote Workers on Preventing Digital Harassment and Other Compliance Essentials
• 10 Tips to Help Employees Recognize and Prevent Phishing Scams

TRANSPARENTBUSINESS

Silvina Moschini, co-founder of TransparentBusiness, is offering to women-led companies unlimited and free access to the TransparentBusiness remote working and management platform while the COVID-19 restrictions are in place. It also will help the companies to deploy work-from-home programs. TransparentBusiness makes remote work easy to monitor and coordinate.

For more information about the software, visit: 

https://transparentbusiness.com/.

VACO

Vaco, a talent and solutions firm that provides consulting, contract, and direct-hire solutions to more than 40 markets around the globe, has launched an all-new podcast, “Free Yourself,” to advance thought leadership in the marketplace. “Free Yourself” features Vaco experts and industry leaders discussing ways to engage with the constituencies the company serves more effectively and meaningfully.

Launching the podcast in today’s unprecedented times, Vaco released a three-episode series to share how it is responding and offer insight to businesses and individuals on navigating the coronavirus.

Vaco’s “Free Yourself” podcast is available on your favorite streaming service and at https://www.vaco.com/resources/podcasts/.

VENNGAGE

Venngage is a free infographic maker and graphic design software–like Canva, but geared specifically to business.

To help HR professionals handle the COVID-19 crisis and the transition to a new style of work, the company put together a free template resource bundle, including:

• Work-from-home policy template
• Remote onboarding process checklist template
• Virtual event poster templates
• HR process diagram templates

All of these templates can be customized in Venngage’s online editor and branded with your company fonts, colors, and logos.

For more free HR templates, visit: https://venngage.com/templates/human-resources

Use code EXCLUSIVEBUSINESS to get the first month of a Business monthly plan for $4 and access premium templates and features.

VICTAULIC

Victaulic, the world’s leading manufacturer of mechanical pipejoining systems, is now offering free virtual courses from its accredited and award-winning Victaulic University program to construction professionals around the world. Since its virtual launch, Victaulic has attracted approximately 7,200 virtual learners from 99 countries.

Victaulic’s 45+ piping technology courses are available at no cost in two virtual formats: live, instructor-led webinars and self-paced courses, which are available on-demand at any time. Courses are taught in English, Spanish, and German, with new languages being added regularly, and cover several industries, including:

• General Engineering/Construction
• Plumbing, Heating and Air
• Data Centers
• Fire Protection
• Virtual Design and Construction

CEUs or Professional Development Hours (PDHs), which are required for maintaining engineering certifications are immediately available upon completion of applicable courses.

VIZRT

Vizrt, the world’s leading provider of software-defined visual storytelling (#SDVS) tools for media content creators, offered the world its first glimpse of science fiction-turned-real in what could become the future of remote live interviews. Using IP and the built-in Fusion renderer in the just announced Viz Engine 4.1, two individuals located in separate countries appear to be in the same room having a conversation in a live, 1-on-1 TV talk show format on Vizr.TV. 

Vizrt launched VizrTV as a ‘digital-first’ online platform utilizing Vizrt tools to provide broadcast customers insight into the latest company offerings in lieu of cancelled industry tradeshows. Social distancing mandates not only moved the timeline of VizrTV production up by several months but added the extra challenge of having to produce from multiple locations remotely – and even from home, a similar challenge faced by many Vizrt customers.

In a stunning breakthrough using just-released technology, host Chris Black appears seated in a lounge next to guest Gerhard Lang, CTO for the Vizrt Group, conducting a 1-on-1 interview. However, Chris is in the Vizrt Global Headquarters in Bergen, Norway while Gerhard is in the Vizrt office in Vomp, Austria more than 2,000 kilometers away. A virtual set provides a common background behind both individuals.

“The ability of Viz Engine 4.1 to key two or more independent streams at the same time while rendering and compositing everything together is the real magic here,” says Gerhard Lang, CTO for the Vizrt Group. “Getting good quality video from Chris’s location with very little latency to the Viz Engine 4.1 in Austria via public Internet was crucial for the keying quality and natural dialogues.”

“The end goal should always be that the technology is an enabler, not a distraction. So while we can do amazing graphics, it’s more important that we can bring two people together in a nearly seamless way so they can have a natural conversation in real time, despite the distances involved,” says Chris Black, Head of Brand and Content for the Vizrt Group.

WAGGL 

As we rapidly adapt to a new way of life, we want to feel connected more than ever before. To help companies engage their people during this time of COVID-19 uncertainty, companies are invited to use Waggl at no cost for 90 days.

Waggl is an employee engagement solution that activates Employee Voice. Employee Voice is the collective intelligence and heartbeat of an organization that drives action around the topics that matter right now. Details on the offer include:

• Free use of Waggl for 90 days with three pre-loaded COVID-19 question sets
• Complimentary 15-minute set-up with the Customer Success team
• Easy how-to guide “Getting Started With Waggl”

For more information and to access this special Waggl offering, click here.

WHITESPACE AT WORK

To help alleviate stress and instability in these unusual times, WhiteSpace at Work is offering free 30-minute work-from-home optimization and efficiency Webcasts and weekly Web events—taught personally by CEO Juliet Funt, who has been working at home, full time for 24 years.

Twenty minutes of content and ten minutes of Q&A can be tailored from a variety of topics selected in a short prep/customization call. Content may include the following:

The simple yet daunting task of planning the day

• Setting boundaries between work and family
• Utilizing virtual education to replace live training
• Using strategic pauses to surmount stress and change
• Managing email in the new environment
• Dealing with distractions while working remotely
• Meeting skills in an all-virtual environment
• Dealing with the emotions of the larger situation

Tune in Thursday, April 23, at 3 p.m. Eastern. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.whitespaceatwork.com/webcast?inf_contact_key=39a69191d392eef9bed652fba3a7e20e1b0a3f0fd3ee5d9b43fb34c6613498d7

WHITTEN & ROY PARTNERSHIP

International sales consultancy Whitten & Roy Partnership launched a new ebooklet with an accompanying workshop series to help business leaders and their teams through the current Coronavirus crisis.

Focused on managing attitude in challenging times, the free guide in the form of an ebooklet, titled “The One Thing That Changes Everything – From Overwhelm to Brilliance in Challenging Times”, shares advice on how to boost collective mental wellbeing in order to access the best thinking of managers and their teams in the face of adversity.

The guide gives a blueprint for business leaders and sales managers to run a morale-boosting workshop for their teams during which they learn how to change everybody’s state of mind to move themselves and business operations forward.

The free ebooklet can be downloaded here: www.wrpartnership.com/booklet

In addition to the ebooklet, over the next couple of months Whitten & Roy Partnership is also running free online workshops for businesses, teaching them the three-step process in a virtual learning environment.

For businesses and managers interested in the workshops, all the information can be found here: www.wrpartnership.com/booklet

WORKPLACELESS 

Remote work education provider Workplaceless announced expanded access to the Unexpected Remote Work Course, a training program designed to support professionals managing unanticipated remote work situations.

The course can be implemented quickly and completed within 60 to 90 minutes. Modules walk employees through strategies to succeed in unexpected remote work with the outcome of compiling a remote work guide.

For more information, visit: www.workplaceless.com or follow on Twitter @workplaceless and LinkedIn Workplaceless.

XpertHR 

XpertHR is providing guidance on paid sick leave and other employment concerns in the wake of Coronavirus. Paid sick leave is being addressed by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which takes effect on April 2. The new legislation amends the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA), which ensures that many more workers are able to access paid leave should they become infected or need to give care, XpertHR explains.

Employee health and safety is also front and center. Employers have a duty under the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act to ensure that their employees have a safe and healthy workplace.

In its new report, podcast and blog, XpertHR provides guidance on:

• What if an employee refuses to travel or come to work because of safety concerns?
• Do you need to alter sick leave or attendance policies?
• When can employers order employees to stay home? What if they are ineligible for PTO time or FMLA leave?
• Why must companies look beyond legal requirements to broader business implications?
• What if employees cite safety concerns in requesting not to work near co-workers who traveled abroad in recent months?
• How is the Coronavirus affecting pay practices?

XpertHR also makes survey results available through its new Benchmarking and Surveys tool, which aims to provide organizational benchmarking information to users. The tool offers HR and employer survey results and interpretations on topics ranging from annual HR trends to pay and budget.

For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/33tSKmv

TRAINING MAGAZINE

Visit https://trainingmag.com/training-magazine-provides-covid-19-resources/ for a variety of resources provided by Training magazine, including:

• Live + Online Certificate Programs
• Training Magazine Network (TMN) Webinars and Learning Centers
• Exclusive online articles on www.trainingmag.com