Preparing HR for Future Health Crises
The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for HR departments and HR consulting companies in 2020. Suddenly, employees were looking to HR teams while employers looked to HR consultants for guidance in areas not typically considered a responsibility. This was a turning point for many workplaces—now, HR is expected to understand the health crisis or public health challenges at work and manage the them efficiently.
This article outlines four ways HR teams can prepare for future public health crises. Employers should use this information to help cope with the current COVID-19 pandemic fallout and beyond.
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Assessing the Risk
One of the first steps during a public health crisis is to assess the risk of the organization. To do this, employers must educate themselves about the crisis in general. This means staying updated on federal and local health guidance to help inform organizational strategies.
While workplace risk assessments will vary during a health crisis, all employers will need to consider the impact on workers. Are they at a heightened risk by being in the workplace during this crisis? What safety protocols will keep employees safe? An assessment should answer these questions and help employers prepare to make informed choices in response to the crisis.
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Adapting Quickly
Employers must be ready to adapt to health crises quickly. For instance, if employees are at high risk due to their working conditions, perhaps requiring them to work remotely would be the best solution. Employers must ensure safeguards are in place so that employees don’t need to choose between their jobs and their health.
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Communicating Thoroughly
At every stage, employers should keep employees in the loop. This means sharing the outcome of the risk assessment and clearly communicating any new workplace protocols. Employees should never have to wonder how their workplace is handling a crisis.
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Welcoming Change
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, it took far too long for some businesses to adapt. Many pushed back on requiring employees to work remotely, only to reverse course later. Employers should be ready to make these decisions swiftly, and must embrace the changing landscape. This might mean having some employees work remotely while others remain in the workplace.
Summary
Responding to a health crisis will be much easier when an employer plans for such an event ahead of time. Reach out to Next Generation payroll for more HR tips, workplace guidance or HR consulting Dallas. Next Generation Payroll is one of the only local black-owned payroll processing companies for small businesses in Dallas, TX. Although we are known for being one of the premier payroll processing companies for small businesses, we also provide multiple services that are designed to create a level playing field for local businesses to thrive in a global economy. In other words, our services are centered around risk management, operational efficiency, and strategies that improve market penetration by improving business opportunity leads. As a PEO alternative solution, we build up small businesses making sure your business is solvent, and it operates efficiently in all economic climates.
At Next Generation Payroll, we are not interested in fulfilling quotas and meeting monthly sales goals. Our top priority is to simply provide a strategy to help your business reach full potential. For more information, feel free to reach out to us at 214-396-2200. Stay in touch with us by signing up below for our monthly updates and newsletters below!
