The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Maintaining employee culture during COVID-19 pandemic
Eighteen months ago, software company Criterion, mental health care provider Autism Behavioral Health and wholesale distributor The Star Supply Co., were grappling with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the pandemic is far from over, but the three firms have demonstrated their ability to navigate the global health crisis by focusing on their employees’ well-being and communicating effectively with their staffs.
Executives at the three companies all said they have navigated the pandemic without any workplace outbreaks
of COVID-19 cases. Each of these firms is recommending, but not requiring, vaccinations for their employees.
The trio make up the top three finishers in the small employers category of Hearst Connecticut Media’s 2021 Top Workplaces awards.
Criterion, in Norwalk, with 52 employees, has participated in the contest for two years and finished No. 1 among small employers both years.
“We think having lots of collaboration and dialogue, as opposed to telling people what to do, is working very well.” Criterion CEO Sunil Reddy said in an interview.
Criterion reopened its offices at the Merritt 7 complex in Norwalk this summer. The company welcomed employees back but didn’t require that they return to the office.
“As long as it works for all parties — the employees, the company and the clients — then it doesn’t matter where our employees work,” Reddy said.
Danbury-based Autism Behavioral Health, founded in 2016, has also participated in the contest for two years and finished in the No. 2 position both years. The business created a six-phase reopening plan in May 2020. The roadmap included COVID-19 safety protocols for its employees and the individuals and family members affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder who receive services.
“We believe strongly that our strength as a company is our ability to be thoughtfully engaged with every single employee. This means being receptive to all feedback and providing opportunities for our team to grow their careers with us,” said Jessie Wong, ABH’s founder and executive director. “At the end of the day, we are serving the common goal of providing evidence-based applied behavior analysis therapy with clinical excellence.”
Star Supply, which describes itself as New England’s largest single