Human Resource Management Recommendation Against COVID-19 In Sri Lanka

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Human Resource Management (HRM) is regarded as a  vital role among the other functional units in the organization, due to the unique existence of HRM it emphases on handling an exclusive resource that is entirely different from other resources (Uresha.K, I, & Opatha.H, 2020). The "COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund" and "The Presidential Special Task Force" were created to effectively and efficiently monitor the spreading virus in Sri Lanka. Villages with corona virus positive patients were quarantined until no other corona virus positive victims were found in the same region. Figure 1 depicts that the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is increasing on a regular basis.                                                                           



Figure ; 1-Source: Health Promotion Bureau (2021)


HRM Related Recommendations/Strategies

Training and Development

During the corona virus pandemic, companies all over the world inspire workers to work from home. Many employees around the world, especially those in developed countries like Sri Lanka, may have firsthand experience with this. Meister (2020) looked at how businesses are coping with remote working and found that one method is to train workers to work from home are coping with remote working and found that one method is to train workers to work from home. She has discovered that many companies in the United States have instruction for workers on how to work remotely, how to work remotely while in quarantine, and how to handle remote workforce effectively. During COVID-19, Microsoft developed a Guide to Working from Home, which was distributed to the entire Microsoft workforce.   (Meister, 2020)


                            Figure; 2

 


Health and Safety Management

If one of the workers becomes infected with this lethal virus, the whole company could be shut down in a moment. As a result, HRM must take appropriate steps to safeguard employee well-being. The Construction Industry Development Authority (2020) has listed health and safety recommendations for the workers that will be implemented during COVID-19, with some of them are shown below as examples.

    Pay Management

Instead of layoffs, the HR department assists the company and its workers during this difficult time by recommending salary cuts for a fixed duration. Here, proper contact between the HR department and the organization's trade union/s is needed (Jaisinghani, 2020).

Employee Selection

Conducting medical tests to ensure that a newly selected job applicant is not a COVID-19 positive patient, who may have a major negative effect on the company and its employees in the future will become an integral activity from now onwards.

 Job design

 As a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, HR can form an Employee Resource Group (ERG) using the group work design technique. The main goal of establishing an ERG is to help other workers in different aspects of their employment.

References

              Jaisinghani, A. (2020). Pandemics & HR in 2020:. Retrieved 04 29, 2021, from The impact of COVID-19 on the workforce: https://www.peoplemattersglobal.com/blog/employee-relations/pandemics-hr-in-2020-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-workforce-25289.

              Meister, J. (2020). The impact of the coronavirus on HR and the new normal of work – Forbes, Retrieved. Retrieved 04 29, 2021, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2020/03/31/the-impact-of-the-coronavirus-on-hr-and-the-new-normal-of-work/amp/.

              Opatha, H. P. (2021). COVID-19 in Sri Lanka and Seven HRM Related Recommendations against COVID-19. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, 156.

Uresha.K, I, & Opatha.H. (2020). HRM and its impact on employee happiness: An empirical study on Sri Lankan employees. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies,, 7(2), 114-123.

 

Comments

  1. Hansika SamarakoonMay 1, 2021 at 2:03 AM

    According to Gamage (2020) Coronavirus has also infiltrated the usual business processes of organizations where HRM is in care of efficiently and effectively handling employees. In this unprecedented scenario, HRM must play a critical role in ensuring worker well-being and effective HRM functions. It is suggested that more money be spent on preparing staff for remote work and that workers' needs be prioritized. (https://www.lki.lk/blog/is-sri-lanka-prepared-to-tackle-the-coronavirus)

    ReplyDelete
  2. HR ZONE JINODAMay 3, 2021 at 6:51 AM

    Human resource department that performs Human Resource Management (HRM) function in organizations has to play a key role in fighting against coronavirus while ensuring the sound health and safety of its employees and the sound performance of other HRM functions. A conceptual attempt was done to achieve three research objectives which are,
    1) to explore about coronavirus disease and its symptoms
    2) investigate COVID-19 situation in Sri Lanka
    3) to describe seven HRM related recommendations/strategies that can be adopted by an organization under COVID-19 pandemic situation

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ranjana BandaraMay 4, 2021 at 7:04 AM

    In srilanka every company , the Human Resource division has to perform a key role in fighting against COVID-19 while managing the human resource management functions. Together with the HR division, every single manager has to do a HR role as the entire management team has a key responsibility to look after their subordinates. It is necessary to ensure the staff’s health and safety while educating them on how to prevent the pandemic.

    The Human Resources division has to perform a dual role, balancing the business and the staff. Without making profits, the company cannot take care of their staff members, and without healthy and potential staff, the company cannot perform. At present, uplifting the business is a struggle for many organisations. They need to survive the businesses while managing their expenses, and keeping a nominal profit margin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HR Times- Isuru WijayalathMay 7, 2021 at 7:43 AM

    The pandemic has affected the day-to-day lives of the general public. Thus, people’s income level is going down, inflation is going up and loosing job ratio is also going up. Meantime, a number of discussions are taking place, concerning the impact of COVID-19 and implications for workplaces, working practices and Human Resource Management

    ReplyDelete
  5. KD JayakodyMay 8, 2021 at 11:29 AM

    In the pandemic, nearly every country has had a big change on both their economies and their way of life. It is difficult to retain and promote an effective staff when profits and/customers aren't present in the market. With regard to maintaining overall company morale, it is the human resources (HR) function in every company that requires the most attention of the Creative division. Managers have a responsibility in the organisation, each of them plays a position that they have in the company. The HR division can provide managerial and staff support functions, but the managers and employees can also make use it happen by giving out programmes and procedures.

    ReplyDelete

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