During an international pandemic such as COVID-19, the government, media and other sources have stressed that the safety of citizens is the number one priority for society. This message has resonated strongly with most, however, certain employers are not following directions to close shop and are still requiring employees to come in to work, even if physically being at work isn’t absolutely paramount (Bowden, 2020).
The article I read focused on the idea of employers not letting employees work from home during this pandemic. Instead, certain employers are requiring workers to physically come in to work, causing them to feel very uncomfortable and increasing their risk of transmitting and developing COVID-19. Jane Watson, a human resource professional has had several individuals reach out to her with issues of employers not being willing to let their employees work from home. “I heard a story from someone that they were expected to work in an office environment of 150 people.” she said (Bowden, 2020). Many staff members of these organizations would like the physical stores to close so they can qualify for financial assistance, and know they have a job to return to after the pandemic subsides. These employers are being resistant and putting their employees in difficult circumstances, as refusing work could give employers a reason to dismiss these employees. In my opinion, it is the employer’s responsibility to be as flexible as possible during a pandemic, and to adhere to the desires of their employees. Actions like shutting down operations, allowing workers to work different hours, or allowing employees to work from home will go a long way in maintaining positive employment relationships.
The two interested parties in this scenario are employees and employers. Both parties want to do what is best for themselves. Obviously, the employees want what is best for their health and safety, meanwhile, it is likely that employers want what is best for the organization, such as incremental profits during the pandemic. The article discussed that this issue involved small to medium sized businesses, and I believe the size of these organizations relate to the main driver of the issue. For instance, it is more likely that smaller sized businesses will want to keep their doors open as they are more likely to be reliant on a constant stream of revenue to ensure their operations can continue. This is certainly a causal factor in requiring certain employees to come into work during these uncertain times.
This issue has a huge implication on work and employment relations as problems like these are damaging to the employment relationship and the reputation of certain employers. In addition, requiring workers to come into work will contribute to the spread of the virus, which will elongate the employment relations issues currently being faced by organizations. These include providing financial assistance, employment insurance, and carrying out business in alternative ways (Ritchie, 2020).
To address the issue, employers need to become more flexible in dealing with their employees. If an employee is uncomfortable coming in to work, an employer should let the employee stay home. In addition, employers should refrain from enforcing employment policies such as punishment for not showing up to work, which may have existed before the pandemic took over. Next, employers should be doing everything they can to make the transition to online operations if possible. This would be extremely accommodating to employees and society as a whole as health officials continue to advocate for social distancing. I believe the one thing missing that we need to address the issue is extensive cooperation between organizations. Industry players who have successfully made transitions to mitigate the aforementioned issues have the opportunity to share their insights across their respective industries. In my opinion, it is these organizations that could expedite the process of dealing with employment issues for other similar businesses.
In conclusion, it is obvious that certain employers are not taking the concern of their employees to heart. With this said, employers have a huge part to play in addressing COVID-19 and the employment relations issues that have arisen because of the virus. Flexibility is key in maintaining good employment relations in my opinion, and until some employers realize this, they are failing their employees.
As the reader, do you think employers are doing enough to address the employment issues that come along with this virus? Do you have any suggestions of what these employers could do to mitigate the issue?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
References
Bowden, O. (2020, March 22). Employer still not letting you work from home? How to navigate coronavirus office upheaval. Retrieved March 28, 2020, from https://globalnews.ca/news/6708762/working-from-home-coronavirus/
Ritchie, D. (2020, March 12). How to Prepare for Coronavirus in the Workplace. Retrieved March 28, 2020, from https://coxandpalmerlaw.com/publication/how-to-prepare-for-coronavirus-in-the-workplace/
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