Mercer’s Return to a New Normal point of view outlines ways
organizations can aim to ensure the future well-being of their
people, businesses and communities
As many countries around the world emerge from the first shock
of the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home restrictions slowly
lift, many employers are quickly learning that returning to the
workplace does not equal returning to life as it was pre-pandemic
and is actually more complicated than locking-down. While employers
look for ways to preserve their employees’ health and well-being
and keep them energized and productive, they will have to balance
empathy and economics, even in the face of tough decisions, finds
Mercer’s Return to a New Normal white
paper.
“Organizations faced with a global pandemic of such wide
sweeping impact cannot predict what a ‘new normal’ will look like,
but they can predict the challenges they might face,” said Martine
Ferland, President and CEO, Mercer. “This uncharted territory has
pushed employers to consider who should return to the worksite,
when and under which conditions; how work gets done digitally; what
it takes for employees to be mentally and physically prepared to
return to work; and what measures are critical to ensure success in
these turbulent times. To be as prepared as possible, it is
critical to build a risk mindset, thinking through what protocols
and policies as well as what range of reactions employees may have
and how to implement necessary changes. Leading companies are
taking a fresh look at how best to return, with one eye firmly on
how to use this reset as an opportunity to reinvent.”
The ability to adapt quickly will be vital; employers will need
to deploy a variety of proven channels for effective communication,
while also providing tools and support for managers to accomplish
these goals. As the pandemic unfolded in stages, economic recovery
will also likely happen in stages, but it is clear that as
employers progress on return practices, they will need to
continually revisit their relevance for changing times. While each
organization faces unique sets of challenges and variations by
location, there are distinct issues that are top of mind.
Return safely: To manage both clinical realities and
government guidelines, HR and business leaders are working together
with internal stakeholders such as facilities, occupational health
and safety, and risk management to re-imagine workplaces, reshape
physical customer interactions and understand the reality of the
new employee experience. Workplace readiness plans that are
flexible and adaptable – and that continually audit safety within
or outside the worksite will prove invaluable.
Organizations should consider using dynamic navigation tools
that rely on the latest science and epidemiological data to
anticipate – as well as monitor – developing situations. Tools such
as the Oliver Wyman Pandemic Navigator can help employers decide
when to initiate rotational or remote working and to what degree.
Before bringing people back to the worksite, employers are seeking
plans that emphasize the health and safety of employees and their
families. According to Mercer’s COVID-19 pulse survey, 63% plan to
provide facemasks. Additionally, insights into what PPE inventory
is needed, when and where, and the range of testing available are
part of an informed and dynamic return strategy. More than half of
employers (56%) are implementing a staggered return to the worksite
to allow greater social distancing.
Since not all jobs need to return to the workplace and not all
work-from-home arrangements will outlive COVID-19, organizations
are re-examining remote, flexible and blended working arrangements.
Mercer’s research found that two-thirds (66%) of firms have
arranged for greater flexibility to work from home, and data
indicates employers are taking the opportunity to evaluate which
roles can thrive in a remote-first environment.
Many employers want to get back to growing their business,
however, there are concerns associated with the complexity of
navigating a new economic order and the challenges with re-engaging
employees. Outsourcing activities such as the responsibility for
employees’ retirement plans might be considered to alleviate the
burden on internal resources.
Return to stability: Gaining stability and planning a
path back to more robust financial and operational performance is
crucial. As employers move beyond initial cost deferrals, cost
reductions and preserving as many jobs as possible, they are likely
to enter a different environment with a stronger focus on the
bottom line and their employees’ productivity. Rigorous
prioritization of programs and processes will help companies
determine what their organization needs to do to sustain their
workforce for survival and growth. Alternatives to furloughs and
layoffs will be considered, such as outplacement services or
temporary talent sharing. Longer term, changes in pay associated
with “work from home” moves or transfers of headcount to lower cost
locations or to contingent talent may be part of the solution,
along with a reexamination of benefit plans and automated HR
processes.
The pandemic has demonstrated how adaptable most people and
businesses can be, and this has become a cue to embrace disruption.
While employers are pressed to do more with less, a focus on
transforming the business and HR is now front of mind. As a result,
they are considering how to quicken digital transformation and
re-design HR processes to make them both efficient and crisis
proof. They are also looking at where to invest and divest
strategically to drive growth and how best to pivot top talent into
growth opportunities. Many more are defining new leadership
behaviors fit for a new age, along with sustainability goals to
reshape the organizations culture and reset employee
expectations.
Return to energy: As plans to return to a new normal
begin to take shape, employers have a real opportunity to reaffirm
their direction and values. Communication activity around updated
goals and their impact on the employee experience will help drive a
wave of new day-to-day practices individuals recognize and
value.
With employees’ expectations for their employers to take care of
them at an all-time high, companies ahead of the curve are taking
the opportunity to reconfirm their value proposition and align
benefits to values. Mercer’s research found that 39% of firms say
they will review employee engagement efforts as a workforce
priority in the next three to six months.
“Knowing what employees want and what is happening in their
lives can ensure a personalized experience, even when the
experience is remote, blended or still to be defined,” said Kate
Bravery, Partner and Advisory Solutions & Insight Leader at
Mercer. “Engaging employees in transparent, empathetic
communication practices that will foster trust and strengthen the
employer’s culture is vital. Combining data with a transformation
of HR will enable companies to deliver an intimate employee
experience via both people and technology.”
Importantly, how organizations treat their people during the
pandemic will set their talent attraction trajectory for years to
come. Innovations and new ways of listening, learning and
responding to employee concerns are emerging by the day.
Specifically, healthcare access and coverage has been top of mind
for both employees and employers. Healthcare delivery will change
as employers adopt forms of technology like access to virtual care
and behavioral health, online learning and re-skilling
opportunities, mental health programs and caregiving support.
The near- to medium-term will be a rollercoaster as employers
digest the full emotional and economic consequences of the pandemic
and anticipate new waves of contagion. Employees will require
energy and confidence to thrive – whether back in the workplace,
still at home or embarking on assignment. Sustainable organizations
are paying attention to make sure progress is not lost in areas
such as D&I and pay equity.
“In many ways the pendulum of
responsibility has swung from the public sector to the
organization. Brand equity will be vital coming out of COVID-19.
Employers that take systemic actions to improve the representation
of underrepresented groups will achieve long-term success and the
benefits that go along with it,” said Ms. Bravery. “I think the
most important factor is that ‘respond, return and reinvent’ are
not a linear relationship as organizations contend with a localized
response to COVID-19. None of us has a crystal ball to predict how
this situation will evolve, so companies must remain nimble and
willing to adapt quickly for the sake of their people, while
keeping an eye on their own reinvention.”
About Mercer
Mercer
believes in building brighter
futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and
investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being.
Mercer’s more than 25,000 employees are based in 44 countries and
the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a business of
Marsh & McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional
services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with
76,000 colleagues and annual revenue of $17 billion. Through its
market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh & McLennan helps clients navigate
an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more
information, visit www.mercer.com.
Follow Mercer on Twitter @Mercer.
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Miriam Siscovick + 1-206-356-8549
miriam.siscovick@mercer.com
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