News about COVID-19, or the coronavirus, is blasting over news channels, social media feeds, and in regular conversation. Whether you are stocking up on toilet paper or think the reaction is overblown, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your process serving business from the coronavirus.
Impacts On The Process Serving Industry
While there are industries that are clearly impacted by the virus and its spread, such as event coordination or Corona beer, the effect on the process serving industry may not be as evident. However, it is important to not dismiss the virus as irrelevant simply because you haven’t felt it directly yet.
Many process servers have expressed concern that local courts will close and not be able to file cases. In fact, this has already happened in various counties. Closed courts mean an inability to file new cases which leads to fewer papers needing to be served. Other servers have accepted fewer jobs as they want to avoid areas with confirmed cases. Still other servers have encountered issues while serving at businesses that have shut down, such as universities. As it continues, the virus may cause further challenges for process servers specifically.
Protect Your Process Serving Business
Ultimately, you will want to get information about how to protect yourself from the coronavirus via reliable resources such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), but here are some basic actions you can take to protect your business.
Stay Home
Your employees may be sick, afraid to come to work, caring for sick family members, or caring for children since schools have shut down. Enable them to stay home and work remotely. If you haven’t already moved your business to the cloud, now is a perfect time. It not only provides business continuity in the midst of natural disasters and pandemics but also saves you money and provides flexibility in the long run. Keep in mind that, in order to allow your employees to work from home, you’ll need access to the cloud, a way to communicate, and increased security in the form of a VPN (encrypted connectivity) and secure online storage. Tools that enable this include the video conferencing application Zoom, Teams, for team communication, and Database Services/PST, a software management system that is completely online.
Promote Hygiene
If you do continue to operate out of your office, which isn’t recommended, set up and communicate expectations for both employees and those visiting your office. Educate them about proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and social distancing. Also remind them to touch their face, especially their mouth, as little as possible if at all. Hang up signs that clearly lay out these healthy habits. Regularly clean all surfaces and keep up a supply of infection control supplies such as soap, tissues, and hand sanitizer.
Expect The Worst
In a worst-case scenario, the number of jobs that your business normally handles may decline significantly. Even if you think this is unlikely to happen, it’s something your business should be prepared for. Think about what you will do if you have staffing shortages and create a consistent HR strategy to handle these absences.
Communicate
One of the best things you can do to protect your business and keep your employees safe and calm is to communicate with them. Do not dance around the truth. If you are not sure when business will return to normal, express this and send regular updates as things change. Also, speak with clients and defendants when possible.
Pro Tips From A Process Server
Bruce Howard, owner of Kaundre Judicial Services and past president of the the Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Process Servers (MAAPPS), shared what his office is doing to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In the field, he is encouraging his servers to keep their distance, at least six feet, from the people they are serving. They are also advised to keep hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in their cars. Service on businesses should be attempted during slow hours when fewer people will be there. He’s also communicating options to his clients that not only keeps their professional relationship protected, but also to help manage their business and maintain productivity. Finally, he is limiting drop-ins and asking prospective clients to make an appointment if they want to visit the office. Most of his clients permit e-filing, so not only are Supreme Court and Federal Court systems covered, local courts in the State of Maryland and District of Columbia are managed as well.In-office, most of his staff have transitioned to working remotely. Some of the procedures he's implemented so far include, the following:Portable devices or PCs with printer set up;
As we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation around COVID-19, in partnership with Kaundre Judicial Services, The Legal Process Lady is here to support your business during these challenging times. All Kaundre Judicial services remain available and team members are ready and waiting to support you.
Legal disclaimer: An excerpt of this article was originally published on March 13, 2020 by Serve-Now. The Legal Process Lady seeks to provide timely articles for legal support proprietors to assist them with information and ideas for managing their legal businesses and enhancing their legal educations but makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained.
While there are industries that are clearly impacted by the virus and its spread, such as event coordination or Corona beer, the effect on the process serving industry may not be as evident. However, it is important to not dismiss the virus as irrelevant simply because you haven’t felt it directly yet.
Many process servers have expressed concern that local courts will close and not be able to file cases. In fact, this has already happened in various counties. Closed courts mean an inability to file new cases which leads to fewer papers needing to be served. Other servers have accepted fewer jobs as they want to avoid areas with confirmed cases. Still other servers have encountered issues while serving at businesses that have shut down, such as universities. As it continues, the virus may cause further challenges for process servers specifically.
Protect Your Process Serving Business
Ultimately, you will want to get information about how to protect yourself from the coronavirus via reliable resources such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), but here are some basic actions you can take to protect your business.
Stay Home
Your employees may be sick, afraid to come to work, caring for sick family members, or caring for children since schools have shut down. Enable them to stay home and work remotely. If you haven’t already moved your business to the cloud, now is a perfect time. It not only provides business continuity in the midst of natural disasters and pandemics but also saves you money and provides flexibility in the long run. Keep in mind that, in order to allow your employees to work from home, you’ll need access to the cloud, a way to communicate, and increased security in the form of a VPN (encrypted connectivity) and secure online storage. Tools that enable this include the video conferencing application Zoom, Teams, for team communication, and Database Services/PST, a software management system that is completely online.
Promote Hygiene
If you do continue to operate out of your office, which isn’t recommended, set up and communicate expectations for both employees and those visiting your office. Educate them about proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and social distancing. Also remind them to touch their face, especially their mouth, as little as possible if at all. Hang up signs that clearly lay out these healthy habits. Regularly clean all surfaces and keep up a supply of infection control supplies such as soap, tissues, and hand sanitizer.
Expect The Worst
In a worst-case scenario, the number of jobs that your business normally handles may decline significantly. Even if you think this is unlikely to happen, it’s something your business should be prepared for. Think about what you will do if you have staffing shortages and create a consistent HR strategy to handle these absences.
Communicate
One of the best things you can do to protect your business and keep your employees safe and calm is to communicate with them. Do not dance around the truth. If you are not sure when business will return to normal, express this and send regular updates as things change. Also, speak with clients and defendants when possible.
Pro Tips From A Process Server
Bruce Howard, owner of Kaundre Judicial Services and past president of the the Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Process Servers (MAAPPS), shared what his office is doing to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In the field, he is encouraging his servers to keep their distance, at least six feet, from the people they are serving. They are also advised to keep hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in their cars. Service on businesses should be attempted during slow hours when fewer people will be there. He’s also communicating options to his clients that not only keeps their professional relationship protected, but also to help manage their business and maintain productivity. Finally, he is limiting drop-ins and asking prospective clients to make an appointment if they want to visit the office. Most of his clients permit e-filing, so not only are Supreme Court and Federal Court systems covered, local courts in the State of Maryland and District of Columbia are managed as well.In-office, most of his staff have transitioned to working remotely. Some of the procedures he's implemented so far include, the following:Portable devices or PCs with printer set up;
- Group chat through MS Teams and Zoom for daily communications throughout the day to discuss daily tasks, priorities, training, and client needs;
- File sharing through Google Docs and SharePoint to share files; and
- Document organization through PST, an internet-based software management system.
As you implement your own measures to address COVID-19, please share with the Legal Process Lady your own tips or concerns.
Legal disclaimer: An excerpt of this article was originally published on March 13, 2020 by Serve-Now. The Legal Process Lady seeks to provide timely articles for legal support proprietors to assist them with information and ideas for managing their legal businesses and enhancing their legal educations but makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained.
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