The Process Guide to combat Third Wave of COVID-19 at workplace

TLDR;

This post introduces a comprehensive and practical COVID-19 response Process Toolkit for Human Resource (HR) Heads and Business Owners. The toolkit has:

A downloadable playbook (link provided above), Live process checklists, communication templates and workflows based on our survey of over 100 HR professionals on:

• Setting up a COVID-19 Response Team
• Implementing Workplace Compliance Routine
• Conducting Periodic Assessments
• Shift from Tactical to Strategic Business Continuity Process

Why Read This?

As we witness the second wave of COVID-19, many people are still asymptomatic. Therefore, it is likely that workplaces might have numerous employees with undetected COVID-19. Without strategic management and technology interventions in existing Human Resources (HR) processes, this is a high health risk for your team members, their families, and community at large.

Among other issues, COVID-19 is disrupting established workplace norms by increase in absenteeism, interrupted work schedule, volatile productivity and incapacitated IT systems built on decade old technologies. These mandate fundamental changes to the established HR processes and Management Systems from the perspective of the new HR normal.

Setting up a COVID-19 Response Team

Here are a few checklist items extracted from our Process Checklist for COVID-19 response management:

All sample checklists, communication templates and list formats are ingrained in Crely process templates, for free download.

Implementing Workplace Compliance Routine

The office premises should be open only for essential services staff. In such times, the chances of virus transmission would be higher with people interacting and travelling from different locations. It is essential that the offices maintain the hygiene and safety guidelines, such as:

Conduct Periodic Assessments

The management should be taking bi-weekly meetings with the COVID-19 Response Team, HODs and HRs to ensure that the plan of actions are in place, the feedback on the progress and to implement any new or corrective measures as per the assessment.

Shift from Tactical Response to Long-Term Business Continuity Management

In the scramble to shut down and adapt to new working methods, it is critical to act fast and practically. However, remember that the need of the hour is to first ensure that every employee is vaccinated. Also, a series of longer term strategic interventions are needed to ensure mental and physical well-being of employees and their families. A few examples as below:

CONCLUSION

The health and safety of the employees comes first. Though not an ideal scenario to draw concrete conclusions yet, we have drawn inspiration from the most reputed HR that set up some of the best practices in COVID-19 Response.

Originally published at https://crely.substack.com.