THE World Health Organization(WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern( PHEIC)” on 30th January, 2020 and announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11th March, 2020.
COVID-19 has significantly changed the way we work and also our daily life. One thing that is certain, we know that adjusting to change is challenging. In the past few months, we never imagined that our life will be completely channelled into a new different way because of COVID-19.
In order to survive this period and avoid significant losses, HR needs to be more vigilant and efficient than ever before. To establish a refreshed role, HR teams will need to be brave, challenging and work together to assert professional standards and create better and more consistent systems in which people can flourish. Shaping our organizations, leaders and ensuring the best way to work is a huge responsibility for those working in HR. The Coronavirus has bred a widespread dialogue regarding the potentially altered future of work, and the main component of this is undoubtedly the changing attitude towards flexible and remote working.
In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis, the fellow educators are wondering what they need to be preparing the students for in the future. The COVID-19 crisis may well change the world and global outlook; it may also teach us about how education needs to change to be able to better prepare the young learners for what the future might hold. These includes; educating citizens in an interconnected world, redefining the role of the educator, teaching life skills needed for the future, unlocking technology to deliver education.
HR’s role has mirrored the changes in business and economics. It is now time for HR professionals to re-assert their leadership to build new ways of working that create sustainability for organizations and their people.
Work and Society: The Covid-19 pandemic casts a new light on people at work and society. People are pulling together and supporting each other in a crisis and endlessly creative and innovative and they need and want a sense of belonging and purpose as individuals changing roles to find new income when their old job has disappeared. They can work flexibly from home in many roles where previously this may have been denied as an option.
According to Brian Kropp, chief of research for the Gartner HR practice, there are three categories of employees during the pandemic; those who work remotely, those who are no longer working and those who are still going into a workplace of which are 30% to 40% of employees. This raises a question of how to manage those on-site employees. There are 6 strategies for managing on-site employees in COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Ensure employee safety
Employers who still have workers reporting in-person should screen every individual before they enter the premises. HR and senior leaders should continue encouraging employees with symptoms to remain at home, and amend policies to ensure sick employees can stay home without losing pay.
It is important to limit on-site teams to as few people as possible, providing more private spaces, and enforcing strict hygiene rules to help prevent the spread of the virus.
In addition to basic safety standards, it is also important in managing the perception of safety. People will react to this pandemic in various ways, companies should maintain composure and steer employees toward feelings of safety.
2. Maintain regular communication with employees
Employees are going to view the coronavirus in different manners. Some may think the virus is a hoax or not worth paying attention to and others will take it very seriously. Regardless of beliefs, organizations must maintain clear communication with its workers.
Leaders should show their commitment to safety by regularly sharing helpful and fact-based information. Leaders and managers should encourage employees to use trusted websites such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to gain information.
3. Ensure equitable employee policies
According to Kropp, leaders need to create fairness between those who are working remotely and those who are still coming into the office. HR should review and alter company policies to ensure every employee has equal access to healthcare offerings. Once the crisis has passed, employers should encourage employees working from home, or those who have accumulated leave, to donate some of that time off to create a Personal Time Off (PTO) bank for those working on-site.
4. Develop employee-support solutions
HR leaders can provide support in numerous ways, whether it's by dividing workers into teams that alternate work day, or providing free on-site food and snacks. Organizations should also permit high risk employees such as pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, or those older than 65 to take paid sick leave for up to 30 days if necessary.
5. Seek employee feedback
Feedback can be used to drive employee investment decisions and learn how to better deal and manage the safety and experience of on-site workers.
6. Reward and recognize employees
The Coronavirus has identified the key workers needed to keep business and society afloat in a crisis. HR professionals can also show recognition by using the company's communications channels to acknowledge employees by name for the commitment they've shown working during this crisis.
The HR Team structures need to shift from a few strategic relationships with senior leaders to be the connector for the business, understanding the situation of each layer from front line to executive.
The HR Team needs to be expert at building career networks that give employees the broadest and most diverse set of opportunities for learning and take the lead in designing organization and career structures that meet the needs and demands of the individual, the organization and society.
Last but not least, we need to conduct the new HR management as well as the importance of HR and Compliance Partnership and the development of Electronic HR Management System (E-HRMS) in COVID-19 Pandemic Era.
References;
1. https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news
2. 6 ways HR can manage onsite employees during COVID- 19 pandemic by Macy Bayern in CXO on 22nd April, 2020
3. The New role for HR following the Covid-19 Pandemic by Matt Collington – Senior HR Practitioner Published on 28th April, 2020
(Dr.Than Lwin Tun, May Thazin, Honey Soe)
