Businesses big and small have witnessed firsthand the negative effects of a global pandemic, with many still trying to find the right strategies for 2021 to navigate uncertainty – difficulty planning a business’s next move without knowing what the future holds.  According to Peterson, as a business leader, you need to maintain consistent values and remain inclusive and open because the alternative, difficulty being effective and being less relevant to your team is at a high cost. My role became increasingly challenging in the year 2020; from working with clients in managing their talents through the pandemic to managing PARKER HR Solutions in-house talents, there was a requirement for fundamental shifts. It became paramount that managers are better able to support employees today as they created and maintained a culture that values inclusion, individuality, and social harmony.

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This article is inspired by the working parents in the #BacktoSchoolCareForParents program that was kick-started this summer. Writing this article stems from a recent article entitled, “A Working Parent’s Survival Guide” by Daisy Wademan Dowling, for the Harvard Business Review. Understanding the stressful state of working parents calls for  measures that can support a work/family balance during the COVID-19 crisis. There is no doubt that the call for schools to reopen puts working parents in a position where they need to support their children in a way that is very different from the status quo, but also the change in working parents’ circumstances (as a result of the COVID-19 crisis) calls for a need to support the parents as well.

Today’s change in the workplace structure is having a huge impact on women, who are more likely than men to adjust their careers for family, in order for their kids to return to school. According to a 2019 FlexJobs survey of more than 2,000 women with children 18 and younger living at home, roughly 31% of women who took a career break after having kids said they had to take this break because of a lack of flexibility with their workplace. There is currently an ongoing conversation on long-term flexible work options, which may be a game-changer for women. With remote work becoming a reality for many parents, the idea of remote work and managing children returning to school is now becoming a concern for mothers. The reality of working remotely every single day alongside meeting the needs of their children requires getting used to – with many still seeking a balance, returning to school now poses a new reality for women.

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With thousands of professionals laid off due to COVID-19, and many more finding their jobs at risk, self-directed learning (SDL) has never taken a front line placement like it has today. Many professionals may be reluctant to invest in conferences, networking, volunteering, or seminars for their professional development, but it was not until recently that a number of these professionals started taking a higher interest in their own learning out of the traditional context of workplace learning.

When it comes to continuing education for professionals, many organizations narrow their focus to providing basic training to employees upon joining the organization in order for the employees to carry out their respective roles. However, a few organizations take a more active part in educating their employees to better prepare them for a higher position within their organization or simply by retaining them irrespective of career progression plans.

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Since the Covid-19 crisis, many teams have been grappling with the new reality of working from home, and employers are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of their employees and customers. All of this is in play at the same time that the local government is working firmly to assure that citizens receive benefits to support them and their families. 

In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and the social upheaval, work-related stress levels are up and the need to change the way we think about stress has never been more pressing. With some certain measures in place for the foreseeable future, it is a good time to take stock of and assess if  employers and businesses are still focused on the right priorities. This is crucial as businesses restart their services, and workers settle into a work-from-home routine. It is important for leaders and management to actively seek ways to foster engagement and productivity by re-framing their priorities. 

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With today’s headline reports of racial discrimination and captured acts of blatant violence, leaders can no longer shy away from the need to take a stand on inquiring about employees’ life experiences during the current state of protest and upheaval.

Conventional diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that focus on employee engagement and belonging are fundamentals but today’s challenges push us to do more. We need to reach far beyond initiatives and awareness in the workplace to give workplace conversations on racism the exigency it deserves. 

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