HR’S ROLE IN BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANS DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK

The declaration made by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 12, 2020 that the novel Corona virus outbreak is a Pandemic, has led the organizations across the globe to sit up and take stern measures to contain the panic among their employees as they prepare to deal with a testing, unfamiliar situation. While the challenges may vary from one organization to another, assessing the situation the company is currently in, gathering, analyzing, and implementing the right policies and smart approach to work is the most difficult and important task for an HR leader to do in current scenario. The interim report highlights challenges that are being faced by HR’S in different organizations and their role and responsibilities during the crisis. Moreover, it also gives the Tips that can be used by the organizations for better communication and connection with the employees.

MAJOR CONCERNS OF EMPLOYEES

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread across the world, HR department of various organizations is trying to help businesses manage this crisis. However the outbreak has left negative impacts in the mind of workforce. Rapid changes are taking place will have long lasting impact for the years to come. Employees are concerned about their respective jobs. Many fear that the pandemic will have a greater impact on their income. The workforce is also concerned about their well-being and about what their companies are going to do to protect them.

CHALLENGES FACED BY HR’S

The ongoing Corona virus pandemic has swept the world in a matter of weeks, changing the lives of millions of people. In these struggling times, many businesses are finding it difficult to keep their doors open. The days ahead will present some of the most important HR challenges of our time. All the HR teams that rise to the situation will be fundamental in leading businesses through the hurricane.

Governments have asked the companies not to lay off workers or slash their wages. HR leaders of various companies are adopting varied corporate strategies like using technology to support and encourage remote work or reviewing costs to stretch the budget. They are also working on to provide flexibility on benefits. HR’s across the world are religiously working to provide the best business continuity plan for their organization. Managing flexible work arrangements, managing workforce communication, implementing preventive measures are also some key challenges faced by the HR teams.

RESPONDING TO COVID-19

“As the COVID-19 crisis disrupts organizations across the globe, HR leaders must respond quickly and comprehensively, considering both immediate and long-term talent consequences,” said Brian Kropp, chief of research for the Gartner HR practice. In order to mage the crisis situation within the organization, various steps have been taken by world’s leading HR leaders:

1.    Remote Work:

Diane Gherson, CHRO of IBM, told “today 95% of IBM’s workers are remote,” and every other company essentially said the same. Every employee should be encouraged to work from home, whether or not they show any corona virus-related symptoms. 

2. Proper communication with employees

HR teams must first educate themselves thoroughly about the corona virus from verified sources like Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the WHO, and reliable news channels and websites. They should not fall under the trap of fake news and myths. Communications are extremely critical at this point of time. There should be a single platform to ensure that every employee know where to go for true information.

An HR should be updated about the local requirements on dealing with a pandemic. Employees look to HR team for clearing their doubts and discussing about their insecurities, especially in times of instability. Hence, it is important for HR leaders to communicate clearly and demonstrate a clear commitment to employee health and business feasibility.

3. Create proper guidelines and support networks for employees working from home.

Remote work has quickly become the standard model during the pandemic outbreak. HR teams should establish and implement norms and a defined remote work policy stating the clear expectations of the company such as for when team members are to be available, how to communicate via email, Slack, Cisco WebEx, and Skype or through any other platform and what will be their responsibilities etc. HR should also make sure that company staff have proper support network to perform all the tasks expected of them.

Most importantly, employees should be given some breathing room to adjust to their new work culture. These are difficult times and individuals may be struggling with unwell family members or general anxiety. They should be backed by their managers and team.

4. Providing Healthy work environment

For workers where work-from-home is not possible, it is the duty of the HR departments to prioritize the health and safety of all the workers. All the business practices should be in line with directions from the CDC. They should also nominate a workplace coordinator supported by extended team to monitor and address the actions required to get through the crisis related to COVID-19. Keeping employees safe by educating them about transmission risks is also very important and essential.

 i.     Offer training and development to establish hygiene regulations like washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, etc.

ii.     Establish policies and practices for social distancing.

iii.     Perform routine environmental cleaning and disinfection.

iv.     Provide face masks and hand sanitizer.

5. Flexibility on Benefits:

HR leaders should come up with policies to support employees who are quarantined or are in self-isolated. Companies should improve employee benefits packages. Darden Restaurants, a multi brand restaurant operator from America, which also owns Olive Garden and employs more than 178,000 workers, has offered paid sick leave to his employees on a permanent basis. Similarly companies like Apple, Walmart and McDonald’s are also changing their leave policies in response to the outbreak.

FFCRA- the Families First Corona virus Response Act which was passed on March 18, 2020. The bill provides (among other things) full-time employees of companies with fewer than 500 employees with up to 80 hours of paid sick leave and prorated sick leave to part time employees.

HR’S- THE TRUE HEROES FOR BUSINESS COMPANIES

As the crisis unfolds, and all the countries are lock down, it is even more important that before that employer and employees support each other at work. Whether it is about uniting and creating new teams in new virtual ways, encouraging employees to work from home, providing them a support team, understanding the legislation that is being passed in response to COVID-19 outbreak and accordingly changing the policies or by simply keeping the workforce safe, HR are has never been more important to an organization. They are a true hero for all the business companies. That’s what HR is all about, and it’s as important now as ever.