Crisis management expert and author Edward Segal said today the coronavirus is a bottom line issue for retailers, workers, and consumers. 

In a new article posted on MyTotalRetail.com Segal writes that employers who do not do enough to protect employees from the pandemic run the risk of workers "staging strikes and walk-outs. That crisis could lead to another one: consumers who think 'if it's not safe to work there, it must not be safe to buy there.'"

This in turn "would lead to a third crisis: news organizations doing stories on whether you're following the COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization," Segal said.

He advised retailers to "remember the First Rule of Holes: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Do the right thing now — otherwise, public opinion will not be on your side. The sooner you take steps to fully protect your workers from COVID-19, the better. 

"By not doing everything you should do now, you could be accused of helping to spread the disease. If you decide to abide by CDC and other guidelines, then issue an apology for not doing so earlier."

He observed that what retailers do or not do to address the health concerns of employees and handle virus-related protests during the pandemic "will likely be remembered by workers and the public long after this public health emergency ends."

To read Segal's article, go to https://www.mytotalretail.com/article/pandemic-is-a-bottom-line-issue-for-retailers-workers-and-consumers/

Segal is the author of the new crisis management book Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey). The ebook is now available at this link  https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0827JK83Q/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=.

The paperback edition will be available June 16.  For more information go to PublicRelations.com.

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