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Execute a COVID Compliant HR

Martian Logic,

Table of Contents

    HR is the heart of every organisation and their activities, guidance and strategies are the core of a businesses compliance capabilities. An organisation’s compliance can be divided into two tiers; internal and external.

    Internal compliance relates to the internal rules and regulations that must be abided by in order to satisfy the standards of the business and avoid internal conflict, complications and consequences. Internal compliance requirements will differ from business to business, and industry to industry.

    External compliance relates to a business upholding the requirements set by authoritative figures (such as different boards, and governments), which are usually laws, and acts, relating to guidelines outlining the company’s responsibilities regarding trading activities and stakeholders (such as Fair Trade Act, Federal Civil Rights Laws, and Family and Medical Leave Act). 

    Compliance is crucial to a business’s success, progression and operational efficiency. Although compliance has been previously recognised as an important asset of any business, now more than ever compliance is a necessity in remaining active in the workforce.

    I’m not going to educate you on the pandemic, everyone with a television or phone or access to the internet is receiving constant updates on the detrimental effects of COVID on global economies and small businesses. It’s no joke, small businesses are in for the fight of their life. Literally.

    The worst part? We don’t know how long this is going to last for… the situation revolving around the global pandemic is ever changing and unpredictable. Thus, placing greater emphasis on the need for internal and external compliance. The risks  associated with noncompliance are higher than they’ve ever been, with thousands of dollars of fines already issued globally to businesses not being compliant with rules, and thousands of deaths globally from those infected with the virus. 

    So, How Can You Ensure your HR is COVID Compliant? 

    As I mentioned, staying up to date with the latest news isn’t difficult. Well, yes it’s difficult because THERE’S SO MUCH to read, but the information is easily accessible. For example, you can find regular updates on the Australian Gov Health website. There are constant updates on increased/decreased restrictions, hygiene requirements and social distancing guidelines.

    In order to be compliant with these regulations your company must be constantly; monitoring, educating and enforcing strategies to abide enforced regulations.

    Your company’s operations would have changed… the whole workforce world was rocked and moved from offices to homes! Working remotely was introducing not as a want but as a need. Therefore, you must train your current (and new) employees on the updates procedures and expectations of the business.

    This is where your recruitment software comes into play! Your recruitment software enables you to create e-forms that contain a standardised video (and require a signature). Within your software, you can tag certain employees based on tags created by you! Such as; location, department, age etc. Your video is sent within a click, and you can track who has completed and signed the required training needed to abide by current protocols. This ensures compliance, but also promotes the safety and wellbeing of your employees. 

    Training is crucial in operational compliance upkeep, however it’s equally as important- if not more, to have excellent communication. What good is providing training to your employees if everyone isn’t on the same page about what the current protocol is? Communication occurs between multiple levels in the corporate hierarchy, however, specifically for HR, there must be communication channels between; HR and employees, and; HR and executives and managers. HR needs to inform their executives of the current protocols advised, and current strategies implemented within the business. 

    covid compliance

    This communication encourages collaboration, which ultimately will provide businesses with the greatest opportunity at surviving the dawning recession.

    Collaboration whilst working remotely may be difficult due to colleagues working in different locations and working with different schedules, therefore collaboration and communication work hand in hand to empower one another and produce a powerful outcome. Lucky for you, your recruitment software should offer you two-way communication capabilities! Within your platform, the same way you can tag and disperse e-forms to certain employees, you can also disperse texts and emails to selected individuals. This could be an update, such as the example in the photo to the right.

    This cements a stable and effective communication channel, as those receiving the messages can also respond! As well as this, all users can track, and view, what has (and hasn’t) been done by their colleagues. Boom. Communication and collaboration.  

    Social distancing is the modern society norm. The purpose behind the face masks, the 1.5m space and the excessive use of hand sanitiser is to eliminate the potential of transmitting germs and bacteria between each other. Social distancing aims to reduce contact amongst each other…whilst cuddling your partner in front of the tv at night may be unavoidable, psychical contact at work is. Especially whilst working remotely!

    This is where your digital recruitment & onboarding software provide your business with a significant advantage . You can remotely, and touchfree-ly, complete your entire recruitment and onboarding process. There’s no need for colleagues to touch anything touched by other colleagues. No one needs to come into the office to pick up, drop off, or print papers. There’s no travelling required! Your recruitment software is cloud & SaaS based, (if it’s not, you need new software…), so everything can be signed and sent at your home on whatever electronic device you use.

    This eliminates the chance of transferring any contagious germs or bacteria. And, as a bonus, it improves your business’s productivity whilst working remotely by introducing efficient processes that reduce costs, and time to complete, by half! 

    Your recruitment software contains the opportunity to video interview candidates. This is crucial in complying with COVID regulations as it; prevents individuals from travelling to different locations/ using public transport, and removes the need to come in close proximity to others without hindering business continuity. 

    The world as we know it is changing. What’s happening to our workforce is writing history, what we’re experiencing will be taught about at school in the years to come.Whilst it’s unfamiliar, and unprecedented, there’s no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t adapt and accommodate our business procedures to the cards we’re dealt. It’s not easy, no one is saying it is, but it’s doable if we work hard.. and utilise the tools available to us. 

    Stay COVID compliant. Use recruitment software.