The novel coronavirus may no longer be new, but it's clear that many implications of the pandemic are here to stay.
This is especially true for our relationship to our workplaces. While much attention is rightly given to the radical and rapid transition to remote work, there is a different reality for employees who need to remain on-site. From restaurant staff to manufacturing professionals, on-site workers face a challenging path forward for months or even years to come.
The role of any HR team or business owner tasked with HR responsibilities is to make this moment as seamless and efficient as possible for these employees, something that is especially manifest while managing the nuanced scheduling responsibilities in a post-COVID-19 workplace. Navigating this new environment will require more from our leave and personnel management systems than many are equipped to provide.
As a result, administrators have to use multiple systems – often rigging spreadsheets and hoping for the best. This isn't a viable path forward. Instead, companies will need to identify and address the scheduling complications to ensure that workers can thrive. Here’s how we can do that effectively.
# 1 Plan for scalability.
The COVID-19 pandemic has vastly extended the scope and scale of sick leave. Specifically, the passage of The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H. R. 6201) enhanced the sick leave opportunities for employees.
The law provides payroll tax relief to qualifying companies, offering the financial resources required to accommodate workers who may need time off. Undoubtedly, this law positions employers to better stand by their workers. However, it doesn't account for administration, and many organizations are not equipped to manage and account for these surging requests. Consequently, HR personnel may not be prepared to execute this program at scale.
What's more, documenting and accounting for these provisions is a requirement that wasn't always top-of-mind for those charged with overseeing this priority. Now, it's a must-have component of leave management.
It's clear that this isn't just a temporary problem as increased access to sick leave pushes HR departments to rethink existing processes. In response, plan for scalability by rethinking your leave management procedures to account for higher volume and variation than ever before.
#2 Account for nuance.
Unfortunately, on-site employees are bearing a significant portion of cost-cutting initiatives. To avoid layoffs and furloughs, some companies are offering creative ways to compensate employees as much as possible.
Some are advancing employees PTO or letting them cash in accrued sick leave. Meanwhile, others are allowing employees to take unlimited time off without pay. There are seemingly endless arrangements to try and make the best of a bad situation.
In the short-term, implementing nuanced employee leave policies can help your staff navigate the immediate and continual fallout from COVID-19. At the same time, these policies, procedures, and capabilities can help facilitate the extended reorientation of these leave policies.
#3 Prioritize people.
The idea that a company’s employees are their most valuable asset isn’t just a platitude. It’s a priority that can be demonstrated in many ways. When it comes to leave management in the years ahead, prioritize people by making plans and policies easy to understand, and just as importantly, simple to access and use.
Invest in leave management infrastructure that accounts for employees’ multifaceted and complicated needs. This benefits your employees and buoys your organization against the shifting requirements surrounding PTO. In the months and years ahead, leave management will necessarily look different, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive, just adapted.
A Final Encouragement
The COVID-19 pandemic has set every organization on a path of inexorable change. From the way we structure our workplaces to the way we manage an increasingly distributed workforce, few things will remain entirely unchanged.
Of course, change isn’t a bad thing. For many, COVID-19 can serve as the impetus to improve our leave management policies and procedures in ways that often needed advancement anyway. Simply put, it’s possible to come out of this crisis in a better position to serve employees, which includes helping them navigate their time away from the company.
Therefore, now is the right time to reassess our leave management strategy to ensure that it can facilitate an effective strategy for your organization and your employees in the months and years ahead.
