Senior Advisor, Global Affairs at American Benefits Council. Global HR expert developing innovative HR and benefits strategies.
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gettyIt has been three years since we were introduced to Covid-19. During that time, we’ve experienced worldwide disruption and a workforce—including leadership—that has been greatly divided on how to manage the problem. Employers have been tasked with deciding whether the organization should force employees to get vaccinated or lose their job, if employees can and should work from home (and for how long), whether everyone must wear masks in the office and more.
When I contracted Covid-19, I was keenly interested in how others managed their illness. I sought advice from my most brilliant colleagues, friends and family. An incomplete list of recommendations from highly respected individuals included goat milk; baby aspirin; mushrooms; raw garlic; ivermectin; high doses of vitamin C, D and B; tonic water with quinine; organic raw zinc; quercetin; Tylenol; Mucinex DM; Paxlovid; melatonin at bedtime; and doing nothing.
What Happened Next
While I started out with the staunch belief that everybody has a social responsibility to get vaccinated, I’ve come to an understanding that not everyone thinks the way I do. Our country is a melting pot. Our unique culture is what makes us great because of our individual differences. This explains why our nation is the center of creativity. We’re free and encouraged to think out of the box. From technology to medicine to every field, we excel. We will continue to have varying degrees of ideas, ideals and values across the nation, and these, therefore, mirror our workforce. What was discovered during this time is that no matter what science we can profess about the vaccine, there are equal forces against it, based on good, personal and individual reasons. We’ve seen how even authoritative regimes (i.e., China) have failed in their ability to manage their own people under the Covid umbrella, so forcing workers into a belief system just doesn’t work.
Steps To Take
First, gain consensus independently amongst the C-suite members then gather them together. Suggest taking the initiative to communicate the importance of acceptance. It falls squarely within diversity, equity and inclusion. Let’s do what we can to integrate the differences among our workforce—and even leadership. It will not only bring people together but also virtually every study shows the increase in productivity with an integrated workforce that is moving the organization in the same direction, one that is fully integrated and engaged. Engagement is the single greatest asset that your workforce has to beat the competition, stay in the lead, increase revenue and create more profits.
When asked how I was feeling after overcoming Covid, I replied, “I’m at about 96%. That’s pretty good considering I was at 91% before I got Covid.” If a crisis is the same as an opportunity, Covid could represent an opportunity here to practice our strengths in duty of care, empathy and understanding. It’s an opportunity to take our pre-Covid workforce which may have been operating at 91% to a post-Covid workforce at 96%. That benefits everyone. Let’s not miss this opportunity to bring our workforce together and COVexist.
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