Business Steps Taken for COVID-19

Aug 7, 2020

Here are some of the recent steps that we took to mitigate the downturn:

Week of March 30th – reduced employee hours from 40 to 30.

Week of April 6th – reduced employee hours from 30 to 25.

We have since kept hours at 25.

Continue paying for healthcare.

We have five owners – Three are now on a three-week rotating basis. Each person is in the office one week over the three weeks to prevent from all being sick at the same time. Other two owners work strictly from home due to higher health risk.

Production team – also rotate days based on workflow.

Employees are paid 25 hours regardless of their billable hours.

We can only come into the office if we have a deadline that must be met. Otherwise, everyone is encouraged to work remotely using a secure VPN (set up by IT).

Require all employees to sign remote working agreement.

Convert our internal Tuesday morning “Town Hall” to virtual Zoom call. Add additional call on Fridays to prep for the following week.

We don’t make any promises beyond the following week.

We’ve worked around peoples’ concerns about being exposed in the office by:

  • Having the office cleaned twice a week
  • Lysol wipes, sanitizers, social distancing
  • No outside salespeople, UPS drivers etc. allowed in the building
  • No one allowed to eat in the lunchroom
  • No shared meals

Hope this helps!

Mary Lawrence
Richard Graphics Communications, Inc. 

More Stories

Member Spotlight – Overcome

What is one challenge you’ve had to overcome as a woman business owner, and how did that experience shape the way you lead today? Lindsey Evans Managing Broker & Owner Liberty Pointe Consulting As a woman business owner, we often carry more than our male...

Message From Our President June 2025

As I wrap up my term as President of NAWBO Chicago, I’m filled with gratitude. Serving this chapter—this incredible sisterhood of trailblazing women—has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life. It’s been a joy to walk alongside so many of you as you’ve...

Member Spotlight – Elevate

How are you working to elevate your business, your team and your leadership as a woman business owner — and what does that word mean to you in your journey as a female entrepreneur? Erin Kelly Herrera Owner Eclectik Design As the female owner of the creative business,...

Message From Our President May 2025

If last month's Women Mean Business® conference taught us anything, it’s this: we are a community that knows how to ELEVATE. We gathered with passion, purpose and a whole lot of power—and we made business happen! From inspiring stories to bold advocacy and practical...

Member Spotlight – Integrity

How do you uphold integrity in your business, even when faced with difficult decisions or challenges?  Arely Lagunas CEO Evolve HR & Leadership Consulting  Evolve HR & Leadership Consulting was founded in March 2023 to address a gap in HR resources available...

Board Spotlight – Cheryl Vargas

Name: Cheryl Vargas Company: Art Studio 928 Role In NAWBO Chicago: Immediate Past President Years In Business: Seven Years Company Location: Oak Park Coffee Order: Iced oat milk brown sugar shaken espresso Dream Vacation: An immersive art and cultural tour of Nigeria...

Message From Our President April 2025

Integrity: The Foundation of Leadership, Community and Advocacy As women business owners, integrity is more than a principle—it’s our guiding force in leadership, relationships and advocacy. It’s about keeping our commitments, leading by example and standing up for...

Skip to content