Health and Safety First- Role of firms in Response to COVID

The COVID pandemic, despite hailed as a health crisis, is accelerating one of the biggest business transformations in decades. In conjunction with legislation protecting workers' rights against violence and harassment, HR professionals are putting an emphasis on working knowledge of health and safety principles, program administration, and legislation. Firms like Google initiated work-from-home (WFH) as part of stay-home, stay-safe policies during government-mandated lock-down. As part of a strategic approach to HRM for talent retention and loss-time prevention, Health and Safety initiatives benefit employees to be productive. Witnessing injuries, or substituting jobs on behalf of other workers impacts productivity, morale, and retention. Employees’ lost-time claims stem from burnout, stress-related illnesses, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With the rise of Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs), ergonomics have also been actively focused by HR professionals. Human Resource managers not only deal with recruitment, performance appraisals, training development, grievance, and disciplinary procedures but often in the big or small-medium sized company they stand responsible for managing health and safety company-wide apart from a dedicated safety expert. Although not technically safety experts, yet the overlap between HR and health and safety is more prevalent today than earlier as HR knows the workplace, employees, and their job plea.

Before the pandemic, 88% job seekers sought perks of better health insurance, Fractl survey indicated that HR invests heavily in health and safety programs such as EAPs (Employee Assistance Program) like the day-care program, nutrition counseling, subsidized gym memberships, student loan assistance, etc to attract loyal employees.

Post-Pandemic, the challenges in resuming operations will vary significantly because of the varied nature of industries. As manufacturers begin to transition from crisis response to recovery, recently in Maharashtra, Bajaj Auto unions demanded factory halt after 250 out of 8,000 workers caught Coronavirus.

Company said work would not be stopped, however, willing to learn to “live with the virus”

Workers and union leaders expressed that though Bajaj has taken necessary steps to ensure social distancing on the factory floor, cafeteria, distributing masks and sanitizers to staff; multiple people touch the same engine on the assembly line despite wearing gloves and still caught the virus.

Let’s be honest. Getting the job efficiently done and being profitable ranks first and safety second for most employers. Despite increased corporate attention and investment in well-being, Deloitte’s research indicates that substantial gaps remain between what employees’ value and what companies offer across industries. Employees, who get flextime feel empowered to balance personal and professional expectations, are more productive, less stressed, and have a greater sense of health and safety.

Etch safety into the job process as a core value across sectors

HR needs to develop a comprehensive restart/ramp-up plan on new effective practices for office employees, wage laborers and manufacturing workers to adopt before, during, and after work. Also, integrate smart factory objectives with digital innovations, bench-mark current conditions, assess plans and readiness for return to work like UP government did skill-mapping of over 23.5 lakh migrant workers under 94 labor categories across MSME sector. Upholding the idea, Josh Bersin, HR consulting firm, reported that employees pursue personal health as a priority after financial security.

A recent pulse survey from the Institute for Corporate Productivity says the health-emergency team supported by HR is paramount to the company’s success and their empathetic and active listening of worker’s concerns is getting essential. To manage workplace productivity during lock-down, over 80% employers are offering work-from-home to avoid business travel and replace in-person meetings with video-conferencing, though not possible for all industries.

To establish a Safety Policy to deal with future epidemics, HR can consider the following questions to make the right decisions for the workforce, and help maintain clarity and structure of resources:

• Can the job be performed remotely? If yes, then are there tools to prevent the disruption of communication and collaboration? If not, then are there resources to purchase, implement, and train your staff on the new tools?
• In most manufacturing plants, complete WFH is not possible, in what ways can the congregation of employees at any given time be reduced?
• What do employees expect regarding the changes?
• While granting additional sick leave to workers, what steps can notify HR/ managers to grant additional leaves if company portal logins aren’t accessible to all?
• Will any updated policy stay temporary or indefinitely?

Return-to-workplace planning: Businesses mindful of workers by revamping health and safety policies

Training from day one must include safe habits like stringent distancing norms spanning from executive to the front-line employees by limiting numbers in meetings and encouraging employees to work remotely. Shared office space should be distantly partitioned, rotating teams, customizing hours and shifts, promoting telework and travel restrictions, limiting outside visitors except for deliveries. HR communication should deal with info-graphics on regular hand sanitizing, repeat office space and lunch rooms sanitizing, and encourage continued use of face masks. A health care official to be consulted at the workplace to educate staff regarding prevention and awareness of common symptoms. Deploy handle-less door entries and mark directions on the floors to direct traffic, especially at staircases and elevator queues. HR should clearly notify the entire team via email/displays of any temporary changes to policies or expectations like preventive measures, healthcare policy updates, and details about disinfectants positioned at the workplace. It’s imperative to request employees to disclose their diagnosis with COVID-19 or contact with a positive patient. CHRO (chief human resources officer) shall review the company’s existing applicable regulations according to National OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) Legislation, The Factories Act, and Government’s mandatory directives.

As all workplace ecosystems are different, it is crucial to assess how employees are adapting under lock-down and incur WFH related issues such as social isolation, stress, and time management.

When the company takes care of its people, the people take care of the company. After decades of work on employee engagement, experience, culture, and HR tech, it took a global pandemic to finally move the needle.

References- HBR, ILO

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.