The work/life balance has changed since COVID-19 started ripping through the world. As long at the work gets done — eventually — nobody is going to know you watched that Seinfeld episode where Kramer burned down the cabin of George’s fiancé Susan Ross, and, oh those letters that got saved.

Before instituting any new work-life or absence control programs, research firm CCH Inc. in Riverwoods, Ill. suggests organizations to do some research first:

• Ask Why. Analyze the reasons for enhancing your existing lineup of programs. What will be the effect on your bottom line?
• Define Objectives. If you add a program, make sure you have a specific objective, that the results can be measured, and that you have the tools with which to measure them.
• Ask Questions and Analyze Answers. Don’t go forward without asking for input and gathering as much information as possible. Should you target a particular business unit or department for improvement? Are you making assumptions about the type of program your employees need? Do you know what barriers are keeping them away from the workplace? Consider surveying your workforce.
• Anticipate Issues. Planning is crucial. Think the new program all the way through. Identify what program implementation and maintenance will cost and how they will be handled. Verify what administrative and technology resources are needed. Develop a solid and ongoing communication plan.
• Measure and Follow-Up. Measure whether your objectives were met and formalize a follow-up mechanism to ensure that the investment got the desired results. Recognize that you may have to change or tweak programs over time to meet evolving employee needs.

Among the 10 key drivers in the 2020 Best Nonprofits To Work For report were: “I can trust what this organization tells me,” “I have confidence in the leadership of this organization,” and “I feel I am valued in this organization.”

Registration is now open through October for the 2021 Best Nonprofits To Work For, brought to you by The NonProfit Times and Best Companies Group (BCG). There is no fee to participate online. Nonprofits must have 501c3 status with a facility in the United States, and in business a minimum of one year. and at least 15 permanent employees.

The annual survey and awards program is dedicated to identifying and recognizing the best employers and providing organizations with valuable employee feedback. The process includes two surveys to gather detailed data about each participating nonprofit. BCG conducts the surveys, analyzes the data and determines the winners and rankings. The top 50 organizations are revealed in The NonProfit Times’ April edition and broken down by small, medium and large categories.