In the latest in Travlaw’s Looking Forward series, head of employment Ami Naru looks at some of the considerations relating to staff post furlough and how we might move forward.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended until June 30, 2020; whether it will be extended further we do not know at this stage. With this end date in mind, employers will be starting to consider whether they’ve been able to continue operating with a smaller workforce, whether this is sustainable and what size of workforce they require moving forward. Redundancies may be a real consideration, but it is important employers consult with their staff and explore alternatives first.
As part of a restructure, and given the way your organisation has operated during lockdown, you may need to review the skillset of your workforce as some skills may have emerged as essential to your organisation. Consideration also needs to be given as to whether you have the right skillset spread across your organisation and, if not, training may be needed.
Has your organisation learned any lessons from the way we’ve worked in lockdown? Do you have a plan in place for your workforce if we are met with such circumstances again? You may need to factor in skillsets when devising a plan. Who knew social media and IT skills were the backbones for many organisations, without reliance upon which the outlook may have been very different for some employers?
Have you as an employer given thought to how you’ll get your workforce back into the office when lockdown has lifted? It seems likely that social distancing measures we will remain in place for a while. Employers have a duty of care for their workforce’s health and safety. Have you thought about rotating those staff who work from home or in the office, changing working patterns to incorporate weekend working or early/late starts to provide enough desk space for social distancing?
More travel industry staff have worked from home than ever before, and without technology this wouldn’t have been possible for many. Was your organisation well-equipped for this or does this require a review in terms of investment and up-skilling?
Has the door been opened for working from home forever? We’ve all had to adapt quickly to working from home, juggling home-schooling, working in a different way or different hours or dealing with care responsibilities, but still getting the work done. This may have changed your view as an employer on staff working from home or indeed whom you recruit in the future. Working from home was always a temporary measure for most during lockdown. Therefore, unless you as an employer come to some agreement with a staff member for working from home to continue, normal working arrangements will resume.
Many employers have kept a careful eye on the mental health wellbeing of their staff, ensuring there is regular engagement via Zoom whether for work or social purposes. Have you thought about how to maintain this post lockdown? Staff wellbeing will be more important than ever: especially if redundancies, re-structures, pay freezes and the like are on the cards, which can have an impact on your workforce’s motivation.
A lot to think about as we all move forward from this pandemic!
