U.S. Jobless Claims Edged Lower Last Week The Wall Street Journal – June 30, 2022 New applications for unemployment benefits inched down last week, a sign the labor market remains tight as the broader economy shows signs of slowing.
Protecting High-Risk Individuals Means Considering the Economic Cost of COVID-19 Roosevelt Institute – June 28, 2022 In this analysis, Roosevelt Institute documents disparities in missed work due to COVID-19 by income, race, ethnicity, and education level based on nationally representative Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data from Americans aged 18 to 64 years, collected between August 2020 and June 2022.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
India NSO Report Says India Work Population Ratio is 39.8% ABP Live – June 27, 2022 The National Statistical Office recently released the annual report of Periodic Labor Force Surveys conducted between July 2020 and June 2021 to estimate key employment and unemployment indicators.
United States Despite Another COVID Surge, Deaths Stay Near Lows New York Times – June 20, 2022 Nearly three months since an ultra-contagious set of new Omicron variants launched a springtime resurgence of cases, people are dying from COVID at a rate close to the lowest of the pandemic.
Poland Vaccine Against Omicron Variant Available from September The First News – June 27, 2022 Information was released from Moderna saying that they had carried out initial tests of the new vaccine against the Omicron COVID variant and that the results will be submitted to the European Union in August.
Will the Pandemic’s Missing Workers Ever Return to the Labor Force? SHRM – May 11, 2022 Official unemployment is near a historic low while job openings have surged to record highs, yet a massive gap remains between the demand for talent and the supply of workers in the labor market.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
INDIA 90% of Women in India Are Shut Out of the Workforce Bloomberg – June 1, 2022 As the world climbs out of the pandemic, economists warn of a troubling data point: Failing to restore jobs for women—who have been less likely than men to return to the workforce—could shave trillions of dollars off global economic growth.
UNITED KINGDOM As UK COVID Cases Fall to Lowest Level for a Year, What Could the Future Look Like? The Guardian – May 31, 2022 After enduring record-breaking levels of COVID in the past six months, Britain has seen cases fall to their lowest for a year. But as the country eases back into a life more normal, will the disease remain in the background – or is another resurgence on its way?
POLAND COVID is Not Gone, Polish Health Minister Warns The First News – May 16, 2022 Despite Poland switching to a lower level of epidemic emergency, society should remember that the coronavirus has not gone away and could return in the autumn, the health minister has said.
U.S. Jobless Claims Jump in Latest Week by Biggest Amount Since Last July MarketWatch – May 5, 2022 Initial jobless claims rose by 19,000 to 200,000 in the week ended April 30, the Labor Department said Thursday. This is the biggest weekly rise in claims since last July and the highest level since mid-February.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CANADA Producing Made-in-Canada Vaccines and Creating Hundreds of Good Jobs Government of Canada – April 29, 2022 The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that COVID-19 vaccine developer Moderna will build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Quebec to deliver made-in-Canada vaccines.
UNITED KINGDOM UK – Number of Active Job Ads on the Rise but Job Market Remains Tight Staffing Industry Analysts – May 5, 2022 The number of active job adverts across the UK has risen steadily since late March, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and Emsi Burning Glass’s latest Labour Market Tracker.
UNITED STATES COVID Cases Rise Across Bulk of the U.S. Axios – April 28, 2022 COVID cases are on the rise in all but six states and Washington, D.C., as the Omicron subvariant continues to spread across the U.S.
POLAND Poland to Lift State of Epidemic After Two Years in Force The First News – April 29, 2022 The state of epidemic threat involves fewer restrictions as well as milder counter-epidemic measures compared to the state of epidemic.
What Should Employers Take Away from the White House’s Latest COVID-19 Plan? HR Dive – March 31, 2022 Titled the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and published shortly after President Joe Biden’s March 1 State of the Union address, the document contains references to both proposed and existing measures, ranging from federal guidance to other initiatives that would require Congressional spending.
EEOC Continues to Update COVID-19-Related Practical Guidance SHRM – March 30, 2022 Throughout the pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has focused on answering key employer questions and providing hands-on guidance about the evolving COVID-19 issues employers face.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CANADA Canadian Jobless Rates in March Falls to Lowest Level Since 1976 Staffing Industry Analysts – April 8, 2022 The Canadian unemployment rate fell to 5.3% in March, the lowest level since comparable data became available in 1976, Statistics Canada reported.
INDIA India to Widen COVID Booster Effort to All Adults from Sunday Reuters – April 8, 2022 India will offer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults starting Sunday, although free third doses will be limited to frontline workers and those older than 60 who get them at government centers.
UNITED KINGDOM COVID Infections Show Signs of Plateauing in UK BBC News – April 8, 2022 The number of people infected with COVID in the UK is showing signs of plateauing, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests.
UNITED STATES Suddenly Short of Workers, U.S. is Forced to Rethink Job Credentials Bloomberg – April 5, 2022 The COVID crisis has reignited a debate over what kind of credentials are really essential for American workers, and which requirements could be ditched at a time when job openings are at historic highs.
POLAND Poland Scraps Remaining COVID Restrictions Forbes – March 28, 2022 As a result of decreasing infection numbers Poland lifted most remaining COVID restrictions on March 28.
How to Manage Changing COVID-19 Workplace Safety Obligations SHRM – March 1, 2022 Employers may be tempted to lift their pandemic-related safety requirements as federal and state authorities ease masking and other COVID-19 rules. But employers should note that they have ongoing obligations to protect the health and safety of their workers.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CANADA As COVID-19 Mandates Lessen, Employers Face Challenges on Work Policies Canadian Lawyer – February 11, 2022 The next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic facing Canadian employers—including the removal or lessening of at least some mandates and protocols—will perhaps be one of the most challenging yet, says Jamie Jurczak, a partner at Taylor McCaffrey LLP.
UNITED KINGDOM UK PM Boris Johnson Lifts All Remaining COVID Restrictions in England CNBC – February 21, 2022 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday lauded the lifting of all remaining COVID restrictions in England as a “moment of pride” as he set out the government’s long-term plan for living with the virus, prompting concern among public health specialists and opposition lawmakers.
UNITED STATES Yelp Reports Post-COVID Comeback in U.S. Business Openings, but Not in Major Cities Yahoo Finance – February 28, 2022 After COVID-19 initially battered mom-and-pop businesses in 2020, openings of new businesses rebounded in the second year of the pandemic to near pre-virus levels—just not in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.
POLAND Poland Lifts Most COVID-19 Restrictions March 1; Masks Stay Medical Xpress – February 23, 2022 Poland is lifting most COVID-19 restrictions including limits on the people inside restaurants and theaters from March 1 but will continue with mandatory face masks indoors and isolation rules, the government said Wednesday.
OSHA Pulls Temporary Vaccine Rule, Says Permanent Mandate is in the Works HR Dive – January 25, 2022 The U.S. Department of Labor will withdraw its emergency temporary standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination or testing for workers at large employers but continue to pursue a permanent standard to that effect.
Weekly Jobless Claims Total 238,000, Fewer Than Expected CNBC – February 3, 2022 Initial filings for unemployment claims totaled a bit fewer than expected last week as companies looked to overcome the impact of the omicron spread.
What to Expect Now that OSHA Has Withdrawn Its Vaccine-or-Testing ETS SHRM – January 26, 2022 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has withdrawn its emergency temporary standard (ETS), which would have required large businesses to ensure employees are vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Nonetheless, the agency is moving forward with its proposal to issue a permanent standard. Here’s what employers can expect from OSHA in light of the news.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
INDIA India Hits 75% Vaccination Rate Milestone DW – January 30, 2022 India has given at least two vaccines against COVID-19 to 75% of its adult population, the government said on Sunday. The announcement came as the third wave of the virus, driven by the highly infectious omicron variant, appeared to be plateauing in some states.
UNITED KINGDOM Young People Who Lost Jobs in Pandemic in UK ‘Returning to Insecure Work’ The Guardian – January 30, 2022 A report by the Resolution Foundation found young people had returned to work rapidly in late 2021, with unemployment now slightly lower than pre-pandemic levels, but a third of the 18- to 34-year-olds back in the workplace were now in atypical, insecure work.
POLAND Poland has Entered a Fifth Wave of COVID, Says Minister Reuters – January 17, 2022 Poland is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, the health minister said on Monday, warning that the spread of the Omicron variant could send daily case numbers soaring to levels not yet seen in the country.
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay on the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more employees to require proof of vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing.
This means that the ETS is on hold for further review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a potential return to the Supreme Court. For employers, this ruling is not a final decision on the issue, but it does give them more time to prepare if the ETS does ultimately take effect. However, it also indicates for employers that the current Supreme Court is unlikely to approve the requirement.
The ruling also does not apply to any state or local requirements. Littler maintains a chart of vaccine-related legislation by jurisdiction. In some states, lawmakers have taken steps to limit or prevent vaccine mandates, while other states, cities and counties already have vaccine mandates in place for certain workers. Employers should work with legal counsel to determine if they are impacted by any existing legislation.
Employers that are not impacted by any federal, state or local legislation, can choose policies and practices best suited to their business as long as those policies do not violate the law, according to law firm Jackson Lewis. According to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance, employers are able to mandate vaccines in most cases, but they must provide reasonable accommodations for employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of certain medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs.
Employers who are asking about vaccination status should take care in their approach. Tracking employee vaccination status can help employers determine whether workers need to wear masks, how quickly they can return to the workplace after an exposure to COVID-19 or if they can increase capacity in offices, but employers should be cautious in asking follow-up questions about why a person has not gotten the vaccine. According to SHRM, questions about why an employee is not vaccinated could be subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
As for workers, surveys show they are split on vaccine mandates, with a small majority (53%) saying they want to see their workplace introduce the proper technology that could record proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
SHRM Research: Most Employers Say They Can Endure Omicron SHRM – January 5, 2022 SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) released the results of a pulse survey of executives today that shows most of those business leaders—87 percent—believe their organization would be able to endure an outbreak of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
How to Ask Employees About Vaccination Status SHRM – January 4, 2022 Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard, currently being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, employers with at least 100 workers have until Jan. 10 to determine the vaccination status of each employee.
What’s New from the CDC Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
GLOBAL NEWS
AUSTRALIA Australia to Push Ahead with Reopening Amid Record COVID-19 Cases Reuters – January 3, 2022 Australia’s government said the milder impact of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 meant the country could push ahead with plans to reopen the economy even as new infections hit a record of more than 37,000 and the number of people hospitalized rose.
CANADA Judges’ Decisions Help Shed Light on Legality of Workplace Vaccine Mandates CTV News – January 2, 2022 A year after COVID-19 vaccines first arrived in Canada, employers and workers in the country’s most populous province are getting a clearer picture of when and what kind of immunization mandates can be enforced in the workplace, legal experts said following recent rulings on the issue.
INDIA Low COVID Vaccination Rate Fuels Fear that Fast-Growing Omicron Wave Could Hit India Hard CBS News – January 3, 2022 India could be in the grip of an intense third wave of coronavirus infections within weeks as cases of the new Omicron variant rise sharply. Experts estimate that the wave could peak in the middle of February, driven primarily by the highly contagious strain.
UNITED KINGDOM Amid Omicron Surge, UK PM Johnson Resists Another Lockdown Reuters – January 4, 2022 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England, betting that a vaccine booster drive and caution among the population would be enough to constrain the latest wave.
UNITED STATES U.S. COVID Cases Rise to Pandemic High as Delta and Omicron Circulate at Same Time CNBC – December 29, 2021 U.S. COVID cases have hit their highest level of the pandemic as two highly infectious variants circulate throughout the country and health officials urge Americans to get vaccinated and boosted against the virus.
POLAND No New COVID Restrictions, Health Minister Says The First News – January 5, 2022 No further sanitary restrictions are planned at the moment despite a rise in COVID-19 infections in the past days, Poland’s health minister said on Wednesday.
After administering more than 30 million vaccines across the U.S., a healthcare company announced a company-wide vaccination policy requiring employees in clinical and corporate positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of October 2021. The move was driven by health and safety concerns for employees, patients and customers, but the client knew it wouldn’t come to fruition without impact to their workforce.
Flexing our Process for the New Policy
Because the new policy stipulated that all new hires in impacted roles be vaccinated, the PeopleScout client engaged with us prior to the announcement to discuss their plans and get ahead of any impact to recruitment efforts. As their long-term RPO partner, we were uniquely positioned to help the healthcare company create a multi-faceted plan to communicate the vaccine mandate to candidates and adjust recruitment activities to ensure new hires are in compliance with the mandate.
Leveraging copy and communications from the company’s HR and legal teams, we updated all relevant job descriptions with a section on the vaccine mandate and deadlines. To provide an additional screening step, we added vaccine status questions to application forms for the relevant positions. If candidates indicated that they were not vaccinated or not willing to be vaccinated, they were automatically disqualified in most states.
Taking a Hands-on Approach to Reduce Candidate Drop Off
To mitigate the impact on the dropout rate at the top of the funnel, we followed up with every candidate who said “no” to ensure they had understood the questions and hadn’t answered in error. As a result of this extra effort, several candidates were requalified and put back into the running for employment with the healthcare company. Disposition codes were also used to indicate when candidates left the funnel due reasons related to the vaccine requirements. This helped the company gather data on how the policy was impacting recruitment outcomes.
Supporting the Accommodation Process
COVID-19 vaccine mandate information was added to the candidate communication sequence in the organization’s CRM, directing them to a website complete with FAQs. Throughout the screening and interview process, the PeopleScout team also fielded questions from candidates. Common queries were about how to apply for a reasonable accommodation for those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons. While the internal legal team handled the review of all accommodation applications, the PeopleScout team did field questions about the accommodation process, freeing up the organization’s internal teams to focus on more strategic initiatives while boosting the candidate experience.
For successful candidates, we ensured all offer letters contained language about the vaccination requirement and followed up with candidates to address any final questions.
So what does a return to work look like? Right now, the fog of the present obscures what our “new normal” will look like. As work becomes increasingly digitally enabled and uncertainty continues, many employers are wondering when or if they should return to the workplace, as well as how exactly to go about the process.
So, in this article, we’ll cover what employees expect from employers during their return to work, how employers are leveraging the hybrid workforce model, and strategies that organizations should consider implementing while planning a safe return to the workplace.
The Return to Work: Employer Preparations Versus Employee Expectations
The pandemic has tested the employee and employer relationship. Employers have supported their workforce to an unprecedented degree in ways they hadn’t before and under greater scrutiny. Meanwhile, workers have shown incredible resilience and adaptability as they worked to remain productive amidst the challenges of the pandemic.
Then, the development of vaccines raised confidence in returning to the workplace, but uncertainties remain about how to bring employees back safely. As such, employers should develop a return strategy that helps meet their business goals, while also addressing employee expectations and the need for increased flexibility.
According to PwC’s U.S. Pulse Survey, employees reported that their preferred work arrangements were:
Interestingly, according to a report from The Conference Board, returning employees to the workplace is more important for U.S.-based employers. Specifically, the survey found that, among U.S. executives, 22% said returning employees to the workplace was a priority, while only 5% of their global counterparts agreed.
In the next section, we’ll discuss how employers and employees can find common ground through a hybrid workplace model.
Returning to the Office: The Workforce of the Future is Hybrid
While both employees and employers have varying expectations on what a return should look like, one thing is clear: everyone expects more flexibility in the workplace, and a hybrid workplace model combines characteristics of remote and on-site work. In a hybrid workplace, some or all employees are free to choose where and when they work; they can also divide their time between working from home, a co-working space or their organization’s office.
Granted, whether an employer can offer a hybrid workplace model depends on multiple considerations, most notably the industry and job type. While there are a variety of careers and roles that require employees to be on-site every day, Gartner estimates that nearly two-thirds of employees—mostly knowledge workers—can work remotely at least some of the time. They can fully focus on tasks without the noises and interruptions of the traditional workplace environment. They can choose to work when they’re feeling most productive, whether that’s in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. When employees are happier, better rested and less stressed, they do better work.
Employee Wellbeing and Returning to the Office
Being free to work when and where they please has a significant positive influence on employee satisfaction. For instance, in a SurveyMonkey study, employees who worked remotely reported feeling happier than their colleagues who remained working in the office. However, for others, working remotely can be isolating and even distracting. Clearly, a hybrid workplace mitigates many of the downsides of pure remote work to create a professional space outside of the home for employees to collaborate and socialize with colleagues.
Lowered Costs
In a hybrid workplace, there’s no need for row after row of assigned desks. Instead, once an organization knows how many employees will be in the office at any given time, employers can plan around new occupancy levels to cut down on the cost of rent and other expenses.
Safety
For extra safety returning to the office, a hybrid workplace also helps keep employees safe during the pandemic by: reducing the number of people in the workplace at any one given time; creating ample personal space; and making it easier to stay distanced. Flexible workers can also commute during off-peak times or work from home if they or their family are at particular risk.
Return to Work: The Hybrid Workforce in Action
For example, at IBM an employee’s office attendance requirement is determined by work deliverables or the need for team collaboration. While at, Ford office workers are required to be on site for specific meetings or projects, otherwise they are permitted to work remotely. At Uber, Citigroup and H&R Block employees are required to be in the office two to three days per week.
Conversely, some employers place workers into tiers. For instance, Salesforce divided their hybrid workforce into three tiers: flex employees in the office one to three days per week, fully remote employees and office-based employees required to be in the office four to five days per week. Similarly, TIAA will group employee roles into four categories: fully remote, mostly remote, mostly on site, and fully on site.
Supporting Your Employees Return to Work
As expected, balancing the physical and emotional wellbeing of employees with the business needs of the employer has been a top challenge for talent and HR leaders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As an example, when PwC’s COVID-19 Global CFO Pulse Survey asked, “Which of the following is your company planning to implement once you start to transition back to on-site work?”, CFOs responded:
Mental Health and Workplace Stress
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s mental health to some degree, so feelings of anxiety and hesitancy around returning to the workplace should are to be expected. Now more than ever, leaders and managers need to demonstrate compassion and understanding. Employers should invest in new mental health resources for employees in need. This can take the form of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or a referral to external organizations that can crisis intervention, counseling, or other assistance. Plus, easy access to and promotion of an employer’s EAP can help provide many helpful resources for employee mental health in the workplace.
Flexible Paid Sick Policy
For workers with limited paid sick time, testing positive for COVID-19 comes with potential repercussions to their livelihood. To mitigate the potential loss of income, employer should consider implementing a flexible paid sick policy that offers employees additional paid time off if they do contract COVID-19. This may put employees, who would otherwise worry about the repercussions of getting sick, at ease. Paid sick leave policies should also communicate the importance of staying home when feeling unwell (even if unsure) while making it clear that doing so will not impact that employee negatively. For more information and guidance on sick leave policy and returning to work after
Create Clear and Consistent Communications
An action plan for returning to the workplace is only as effective as an organization’s ability to clearly articulate the details of the plan to employees in a way that everyone understands. Moreover, communicating with employees about plans to reopen can help keep them engaged and provide a sense of normalcy. Employees will want to hear about their employers reopening plans, from social distancing to wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as details about workplace layout and exactly who is required to return and when.
Returning to Work After COVID: Conclusion
COVID-19 has taught us a lot about how we live and how we work. It has laid bare that our usual routines are not set in stone, and that alternative ways of working and building community within in organization are not just viable but can have a lasting impact on our happiness, productivity and wellbeing. The future of work is flexible, and more businesses are turning to the hybrid model as a way to achieve the flexibility their employees need. Going forward, the concept of the workplace in the minds of many employees and organizations will no longer be confined to a physical space, rather a hybrid mix of places and spaces where work can be accomplished.
