Over nine-tenths have adopted flexible and remote working since the outbreak of COVID-19, with more planning to do so in the near future.
This was discovered by XpertHR, who found that 91 per cent of companies now offer remote or flexible working to its staff.
HR professionals have said that the main challenges the virus has brought with it are:
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- Ramping up health and safety measures to protect key workers still required in the workplace.
- Helping managers acquire the skills and tools they need to manage remote teams, often with little or no previous experience.
- Supporting employees who may feel isolated at home, keeping in touch and providing social contact as well as help to work remotely.
Research also shows that the Government’s Coronavirus job retention scheme is proving to be successful. With nearly half (43.8 per cent) of companies already using the Government’s scheme, and almost a third (28.8 per cent) expecting to do so in the future.
With only 5 per cent of employees have been made redundant so far. However, this number is expected to rise to 22 per cent in the future.
One HR manager told XpertHR:
We are focusing on making sure we provide support for people and being aware that everyone’s circumstances will be different so offering a range of support.
Mark Crail, content director for XpertHR said:
HR professionals have done an amazing job in managing their way through the crisis that has unfolded over the past few weeks. They are having to put in place, often at a moment’s notice, entirely new systems and processes for their organisations that would, in normal circumstances, take months to introduce.
At the same time, employees are looking to them for answers, when they themselves are still waiting for some certainty from government or their own organisation. HR departments often don’t get a lot of recognition for the work they do – but in this instance, both the senior leadership and individual employees owe their HR people a huge thank-you.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
