Post COVID everything is going to back to normal is a myth.

Post COVID everyone has to work with the new normal is a new reality.

The impact of the pandemic has created a fear of being infected by one another. The challenge here is “How will the employees work whilst sitting next to each other?”. This is where the role of the HR department comes into the picture. They need to help adjust to the “new normal”.

1. Remote Working

There was a massive shift in remote working when the pandemic struck its impact. Things were last minute but every employee managed to complete their every last bit of work on time. Some enjoyed work from home and some missed the feeling of sitting beside their colleagues and working. However, after the pandemic ends most people would want to prefer to work remotely. The HR department can convince the company to let them work remotely as they are just as productive at home as they are in office.

2. Wellness Programs

The pandemic has been a challenge to almost everyone. After the quarantine ends convincing employees the idea of traveling to office is not going to be easy. This is why the HR department should come up with programs that aid them financially and mentally. This will create goodwill and at the same time help them cope up with the crisis.

3. Make exceptions on Sick Leaves

Somebody sneezes and the first thing that comes to everybody’s mind is “the fear of getting infected by COVID”. The fear is going to take a lot of time to go, which is why if an employee feels sick but can work from home the company should grant them such permissions. If someone is infected with COVID the department should make exceptions in their sick leaves and not cut their pay.

4. Recruiting

Recruiting is an ongoing process in every company. But due to the pandemic, the unemployment rate has risen more than recruitment. Every company will have a budget with which the HR department can hire new recruits or the HR department will have to ask the internal team to manage operations with limited resources. Even if the HR department hires new recruits onboarding them is the next big challenge for them.

Times are changing, so is the way of working for every organization out there. The pandemic may go away soon but its impact is going to be there amongst people for a long time. If HR departments work with digital solutions like a Human Resource Management System things can get simple and better. Leading them to strengthen their work culture even when the entire workforce is dispersed.