iF October DIGITAL September-October 2020 | Page 44

lans by companies to re-open
offices in the summer changed
as the number of people testing
positive for the COVID -19 started
to rise again around the world. Many
employers considering extending
work from home or remote work,
through the fall or even to the end of
the year, placing employee health and
safety first.
Because the pandemic is impacting
each country and each employer differently,
not all companies are able
to provide continued ability to work
from home.
In the African region the populations
are being severely impacted
with measures taken to restrain the
pandemic. Since its first appearance
in the African region, COVID-19
has spread to 46 of the 47 countries
and caused unprecedented social and
economic disruptions. These include
closure of borders and schools; restriction
of travel and trade; reduction
in the international investment
and development; delay or recall of
expat employee assignments, termination
and freezing of employment,
reduction of economic productivity
and public services among others. In
addition, the absence of the essentials
for the work home set up, such
as electricity, network connection,
electronic tools (computers, laptops)
is causing hardships and socio-economic
consequences forcing multinational
companies make redundancies
and closures in their African
based companies.
Today, we are facing a new CO-
VID-19 created environment and
going back to normal will not mean
going back to how things used to be.
Companies need to rethink their daily
operations or even the whole business
models. This new unique reality
provides an opportunity for innovation
and an outside-the-box thinking
despite the restrictions and limitations
that will be with us for months.
Where working from home arrangements
are not possible, alternatives
are flexible work hours or schedules
that will allow employees to be at the
job site at 50% and below capacity.
Organizations rapidly adopted the
new health and sanitary programs for
the employees who have to be at the
work site due to the job requirements.
Installing hand sanitizer stations, providing
masks, and other safety covers
and requiring employees to keep
the 6-inch distance while interacting
with co-workers or clients became a
new norm. Organizations also overcame
logistical challenges related to
working remotely.
Employers globally face challenges
that are new by their nature and
there is not one solution that will fit
all. Each country has implemented
local workplace policies, issued various
orders and mandates in response
to the spread of COVID-19 based
on their employment laws and regulations
and the challenges that their
nation faces.
Today, the governments continue to
issue directives every day, as we learn
more about the invisible threat, and
the employers’ main task is to stay
updated on local developments in
real time and adapt to the changing
regulations as it fits their organization’s
operational needs.
The efforts to combat COVID-19 is
not limited to implementing policies
and procedures, or HSSE regulations
but also demonstrating compassion
and giving guidance and assurance
towards their employees. Mutual
trust must be developed while working
from home, trust that your employees
to get the job done versus
feeling you have to track your employees
to make sure they get their
work done. This requires allowing
flexibilities in working hours, taking
into account personal obligations
like caring for elderly or sick family
members and dealing with childcare
issues when schools are closed, making
available professional psychologist
to employees to deal with the mental
problems caused by the COVID-19
environment.
Lessons learned from this health
emergency reminded everyone that
in face of the global catastrophe we
all have to unite and act as one nation
of human beings and land a helping
hand to each other as we fight the
invisible enemy and adapt to our new
COVID-19 reality.
Lilith Kirsh
B.S., M.S., M.B.A., iHR
44 iF Magazine |September-October 2020