Covid 19 virus pandemic has disrupt all day-today
human activities as well as most of the business operations. Currently, no one
knows when this pandemic will end and if its consequences on the work patterns in
organizations will be temporary or permanent even after the recent
development of different types of vaccines. Virus has started to challenge
to vaccines by creating new variants. Thus, the uncertainty is everywhere. This
cause human resource managers to rethink and adjust to new normal with strict
health precautions
The main two responsibilities of HR are ensuring
employees safety and continuation of the organizations operations with proper
precautions to prevent the pandemic. At the initial stage of the pandemic, organizations
have switched to work from home concept as a contingency plan without having
proper tools and experience. However, uncertainty of the pandemic with rapid
changers of virus variants, remote working and maintaining social distancing has
become core features of new normal working environment. HRM has a vital part to
ensure continuation of organization operation under the new normal while looking
employee’s health and well-being during the pandemic. Since work from
home cannot be applicable for manufacturing industries HR department has huge responsibility
of providing protective equipment’s as well as maintain social distancing in
factories
Source :Singapore business review
Another crucial part is employee’s mental
health. There are so many things that can negatively effect to employees mental
well being such as Risk of exposing their family members to the virus , lack of
human contact when working remotely , also HR managers have to let employees
know that they know they are at home with their family, that they are
stressed because the kids are trying to get their attention while they are
working, and that the company is there for them
Conclusion
Corona virus is still dominate
the world and we cannot say exactly when this will end, thus we cannot lock up ourselves
forever. We all have to continue our day-today duties while giving priority to
the health and mental wellbeing. Our economy should keep functioning. HR
department and HR authorities should create the proper background for employees
to work comfortably. Communication with employees is the best way to deal with these
anxious times. Then providing proper technology / infrastructure frequent meeting
via virtual platforms is key to be connected.
Referencing
Works Cited
Hamouche, S., 2021. Cambridge university press. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-management-and-organization/article/human-resource-management-and-the-covid19-crisis-implications-challenges-opportunities-and-future-organizational-directions/6857481FD64558659EE4C17C6DAE9AB9
[Accessed 18 August 2021].
Lewis, N.,
2020. SHRM.ORG. [Online]
Available at: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/hr-managers-rethink-their-work-coronavirus-pandemic.aspx
[Accessed 18 August 2021].
SHERMAN, E.,
2020. Singapore Business Review. [Online]
Available at: https://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/human-resources-covid-19-workforce
[Accessed 18 August 2021].
Good job Tharindu. Employees need to be supported more than ever especially with the uncertain future and the high possibility of losing jobs or salary deduction. So employers start depending more on their HR department to obtain the right HR strategy which could face new challenges. The problem faced by HR professionals is when applying a new HR strategy to adapt to the different challenges caused by coronavirus, the new practices are not fitting to all employees. Organizations need to identify the importance of HR flexibility in applying HR strategy and practices especially with the different circumstances of each employee may face because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing a timely needed topic for a vital discussion Tharindu.
ReplyDeleteIn an organization, obvious that the HR professionals more focus on the employees, but in the current context they should focus on the business as well. Therefore, they should play their role more towards Strategic Human Resource Management. They should encourage both employees and business. While taking the preventive actions to mitigate the risk and assure the employee’s safety, organization need support from HR roles to take some additional responsibilities and commitments towards the business. Specially to keep the employee morale and motivation in higher level and make the employees aware about their deliverables in a tough situation are crucial. Due to certain changes in the working pattern, employee naturally can get stressed. Managing these kinds of unexpected situation and incidents, organization expects from the HRM roles.
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, companies have switched to a remote work model at a rate and scale they've never experienced. As face-to-face collaboration is replaced with e-mail and videoconferencing, HR managers have to do difficult work under difficult circumstances.
ReplyDeleteCOVID-19 has challenged organizational innovation and called for discussions on the future of the profession (Hite & McDonald, 2020). In addition, it has forced organizations to rethink their HRM strategies and move beyond traditional labor management models, by placing new information technology as a key partner to survive and ensure the sustainability of their business. Thankyou for sharing this timely article Tharindu.
ReplyDeleteTimely and an important topic Tharindu,
ReplyDeleteAs you have stated Mental health is a crucial concern during this hard time. Social support at work has been well established as a protective factor against workplace mental health problems (Karasek and Theorell, 1990). The creation and implementation of mental health support and services is critical for avoiding COVID-19-related mental health consequence (Xiang et al., 2020; Xiao et al., 2020)
Hi Tharindu,First, the pandemic highlights a need to expand understanding about how work context influences employee behaviours and actions. Second, it exposes tensions among stakeholders, highlighting the need to consider inter alia employees, customers, and communities along with shareholders. Third, tensions between the strategic and operational roles of HR are exposed.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHi Tharindu, You have niclely explained the Role of HR in Covid-19 crisis.HRM should take the leadership to navigate in the vague present and unforeseeable future by managing people to cope with stress and to continue working remotely so that business will continue.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have been forced to reconsider their definition of what it means to have a traditional office space. Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the pandemic, employers have begun to pay greater attention to employees' mental health. Many are aware of the significant impact it has on employees, and many have broadened their perspectives on workplace well-being as a result.
ReplyDeleteCOVID-19 has changed the experience of work for by far most of the employees. It constrained associations across the globe to adjust how work is coordinated and how occupations are planned. The potential for breaks between employee bunches has additionally expanded between the individuals who can WFH and those who can't, the individuals who stayed on finance versus those furloughed, and surprisingly those in various speciality units affected contrastingly by the pandemic. Conventional conceptualizations of HR practices or superior work frameworks require adjustment about COVID-19. Key HRM research needs to push toward the more nuanced conceptualization and estimation of HR practices like adaptability, work plan and so forth as opposed to catching these under the class of 'other', which has been quite commonplace.
ReplyDeleteA good article Tharindu,
ReplyDeleteToday, there is a situation where curfew is imposed in certain areas in the country. It's not uncommon for some employees to be unable to travel to work or visit clients because of the pandemic's spread. For businesses, it has posed a number of challenges and has had a negative impact on revenue generation. so HR has to play a key role in this situation. Through your blog, you have nicely explained the HR role.
I have created a post regarding the above topic. Invite you to visit and gain more knowledge through https://bocumesh.blogspot.com/2021/07/did-sri-lanka-manage-well-in-covid-19.html
Nice article Tharindu. Employees are the main one of the key victims of this pandemic. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming when government measures, such as social distancing and self-isolation, are imposed with no solution to the outbreak and their impediment. Its subsequent effect, including organizations, which are reported to go bankrupt if the situation continues, can be mentally distressing. As a result, it becomes a challenge for employers to make sure their employees are keeping on top of their mental health and well-being while working from home continually. In particular, HR managers are required to reconsider and formulate human resource management (HRM) strategies to preserve the welfare of the employees and thus optimize their effectiveness in the midst of pandemics and uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteBecause people are the most valuable assets in any business, safeguarding their health and well-being is important to improving productivity. We are living in a challenging time for both people and corporations. Employers must take the appropriate steps to resolve the issue.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Tharindu, HRM has become the most important organizational process due to Covid19 pandemic. Both Organizations & Employees faced many difficulties in welfare, payroll, work from home, stress, etc. and mostly with health issues. As a result HRM was restructured by organizations accordingly to protect their most valuable asset the employees.
ReplyDelete