COVID presents new HR challenges
As we arrive at the anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the pandemic, it’s natural to look at it like a book, anticipating the ending now that vaccines have been introduced in the plot. But the pandemic can’t possibly end with a neat period; it can only leave endless ellipses trailing into new storylines.
One shared narrative will be at the workplace. Some people can pick up where they left off. Many, of course, will continue working from home out of preference or shifting corporate strategies.
Company policies need to evolve. We are reminded as Women’s History Month arrives each March that there is still so much ground to close regarding workplace equity. That ground should not have been lost in the COVID era. But we fear progress made to prevent workplace harassment faces fresh obstacles.
Two years ago, Hearst Connecticut Media reviewed Commission of Human Rights and Opportunities complaints that revealed the toxic problem can infect any business, regardless of size, with its firmest grip on the hospitality field.
As the scandal involving allegations about the behavior of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo attests, it also knows no boundaries regarding power.
The distance of working from home won’t diminish the potential for abuse.
Video conferences, email and internal communication are just different channels in which harassment can occur. People tend to be more relaxed when working from home; that doesn’t mean they are more appropriate.
It’s an area in which Connecticut has made strides in recent years. In his State of the State Address in 2018, former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called on his colleagues to support and craft legislation to curtail workplace harassment.
The recent Times Up Act lengthened the statute of limitations for sexual harassment and assault, and mandated training be provided for employees. And Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed a law preventing discrimination based on hairstyles in the workplace.
But human resources departments that were struggling to catch up with the training should already be crafting updates to reflect this new world. Defining appropriate dress codes in different professions presented challenges for HR professionals for decades. How does that translate when the employee is home?
Similar reasoning applies to comments made to peers virtually. If anything, it’s more important than ever to demonstrate appropriate conduct given there can be unseen youngsters stirring about in the workplace.
While employers had to respond quickly to refining policies regarding cybersecurity, they should be similarly proactive about the personal security of their workforce.
Legislators all too often respond to circumstances with legislation only after a crisis. This can’t wait. Employers have had a year to observe best and worst practices. It can only be beneficial to host virtual chats with staff members to ensure best practices are clear, and to invite public as well as confidential feedback.
New laws are needed, and inevitable. Ultimately, though, it comes down to individual choice. Treating one another with dignity should always occur, even in a virtual work environment.
While employers had to respond quickly to refining policies regarding cybersecurity, they should be similarly proactive about the personal security of their workforce.