The article “How Businesses Should Handle the Coronavirus Outbreak”
The article “How Businesses Should Handle the Coronavirus Outbreak” discusses how an organization should prepare to handle the issue of the coronavirus outbreak in early January this year. Though the virus is already reported in the US, it is the high time human resource personnel come up with strategies that will minimize its spread in the workplace. Though closing the businesses seems to be the best option to contain the spread in the workplace, HR needs to focus on how production will remain the same during the pandemic.
One of the most critical strategies that HR personnel can come with is the implementation of flexible working plans. HR needs to plan for its employees to work during the off-peak hours to avoid contamination. Most cities in the US are crowded during morning hours when everybody is going to their working places. Rescheduling the work time plans may greatly help companies to reduce the transmission of the disease. For instance, in manufacturing companies, HR can arrange for employees to work during the night instead of working during the day. During this time, there is less contact in public places. Alternatively, HR can strategize to divide employees to work at a different time of the day. Scheduling half of employees to work at night while the others work during the day reduces the rate of contact between employees in the workplace, further reducing the transmission of the virus. Second, it is high time HR considers the use of technology in the workplace. If employees can work from home and deliver their assignments online, then this is the right time to do so. The use of current communication tools like Skype, Google Hangouts, and Whatsapp video calls is essential for communication for teammates in the workplace. For real-time collaborations, HR may consider the use of tools like Collabedit.