The Home Depot reinforces internal policies amid immigration spotlight; JPMorgan morale took a hit after RTO

Plus: Most agree bad EX is bad for business.

Hello, comms pros and IC baddies! Communications has been hitting the headlines this week, and there’s lots we can learn. Let’s get into it.

Reiterating company protocol amid immigration raids

The Home Depot has found itself an unwitting flashpoint in the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

A raid last week in an LA strip mall that housed a Home Depot store helped spark the protests in the city that have led the federal government to mobilize National Guard troops as well as Marines, setting off a national controversy. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were specifically instructed to target Home Depot stores because day laborers can often be found gathered there.

This bright spotlight has led to both external and internal communications challenges. A spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that they were reiterating a number of internal policies for store associates, including:

• Store leaders should report immigration actions near stores to corporate.
• Workers should avoid interacting with immigration officials.
• Workers in areas where raids are taking place can leave for the day, with pay.

While we don’t know exactly how these messages were communicated to local stores, especially those in the LA area, this underscores the importance of regularly and repeatedly reinforcing policies for employees, especially in volatile situations.

These are policies that perhaps have not been needed in years — if ever. Ensuring that workers understand what the company expects of them in a stressful situation, such as interacting with armed agents, can help de-escalate these issues. When employees know the company will have their back and even support them by allowing them to leave with pay, they’ll have greater confidence in their ability to respond.

Given the current environment, take a few moments to consider which policies need to be resurfaced for your workforce. Simply giving clear direction can make employees feel supported and heard.

JPMorgan morale suffers after blunt RTO rhetoric

JPMorgan instituted a high-profile five-day return-to-office order in March of this year. Employees complained but CEO Jamie Dimon took a hardline stance, saying over a period of months that people who disliked the policy “can get a job elsewhere” and that while he understood some people did not want to return to the office, “what they will not do is tell JPMorgan what to do.”

After such a big policy turn supported by hardline rhetoric, it’s fairly unsurprising that morale at the company has taken a hit, especially when it comes to employees feeling the company cares about their wellbeing. According to an internal memo obtained by Barron’s, employee pulse survey results in the realm of health and wellbeing declined, though the company said they “remained favorable.” It’s unclear what the specific numbers were.

“We know return full-time to the office has been an adjustment and one that not everyone agrees with, but we continue to believe in-person is how we do our best work and how we foster connections and mobility opportunities,” Dimon and Chief Human Resources Officer Robin Leopold wrote in the memo.

The memo also reportedly told employees that the company valued “flexibility,” though it was unclear exactly how this was supported through action.

Communications is often in the unenviable position of communicating policies they didn’t make — or that they even advised against, knowing the impact it would likely have on morale. In this case, their job was made even harder by Dimon’s repeated blunt statements about the policies, which undercut any attempt to soften or put a more positive face on the RTO order.

Now, the team will have to work closely with HR to continue to both show and tell employees that the flexibility and mobility opportunities the company promised are real. The pulse survey is a great step in gauging how successful those efforts will be, as the annual survey will provide year-over-year data to show changing sentiment.

While the messaging requires action, the consistency of the promise of “mobility opportunities” (read: promotions and raises) is a tantalizing one that homes in on the “what’s in it for me?” aspect of the RTO. While employees may not enjoy their commutes and being required to wear hard pants, money and titles talk.

Bad employee experience harms business outcomes

Show this to your boss (or your boss’ boss): 78% of HR leaders said that bad employee experience can result in bad business outcomes. That’s according to a new survey of 750 HR decisionmakers in the UK from Scarlett Abbott. But 43% of respondents said their senior leaders weren’t bought into the employee experience concept, and only around 30% said these values were at the heart of their company culture.

It can be difficult to get this buy-in, but to make the case and supercharge your EX, join us at The Employee Experience Conference, Aug. 5-7 at Disneyland. Register by today, June 13, for $200 off.

How about some good news?

• Scientists have discovered new information about Roman fast food, which sounds pretty tasty.
• Humanity has gotten its first look at the sun’s south pole.
• The Indiana Pacers have a 2-1 lead against the OKC Thunder — definitely good news if you’re a Hoosier like the author.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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