MRA’s Hot Topic Survey #5 Coronavirus Workplace Realities – Focus on the Future
Kathryn Klopfer
Media Contact: Kathryn Klopfer, Marketing Communications & PR Specialist
[email protected] | 262.696.3426
MRA’s Hot Topic Survey #5 Coronavirus Workplace Realities – Focus on the Future
MILWAUKEE, WI (April 21, 2020) MRA’s Coronavirus Workplace Realities Hot Topic Weekly Survey provides employer responses from April 10-14. This quick-moving research includes a look ahead as organizations prepare next steps and establish their focus on the future.
“As the intense level of concern continues to decline and employers look to reopen, confidence is increasing,” said Susan Fronk, CEO and President of MRA. “Our members put safety first. A quick, but safe, return to work is everyone’s goal and we can get there using quality data, ingenuity, and good old common sense. Employers know their workforce is priority one and it is in their best interest to keep them healthy and get them back to work.”
Added Fronk, “Now is the time to take a critical look at what we’ve been through during this crisis and make a plan to emerge even stronger than before.”
MRA suggests organizations consider:
- What caught you by surprise?
- How has this pandemic shifted your business operations?
- What adaptations might you keep in place following the crisis?
- What should businesses do today to prepare for the next six to 12 months?
- What skills are needed to execute this new future? Is your workforce ready?
Week-over-week Hot Topic Survey responses show extreme concern is declining, while moderate concerns are only slightly increasing.
“Extremely Concerned” “Moderately Concerned”
|
|
Impact on Business Continuity |
Impact on Human Resources |
|
Impact on Business Continuity |
Impact on Human Resources |
|
April 10-14 |
34% |
24% |
|
41% |
43% |
|
April 3-7 |
43% |
35% |
|
39% |
42% |
|
March 27-31 |
45% |
41% |
|
36% |
39% |
|
March 20-24 |
56% |
45% |
|
33% |
37% |
|
March 11-16 |
27% |
18% |
|
38% |
40% |
Despite lower overall concern with regard to the impact to business continuity and human resources, one month later, concern on long-term impact to the organization has heightened mainly within the “Moderately Concerned” level.
Moving Business Forward
Survey participants indicated they are taking the following steps to move their business forward. The majority (66%) are reviewing/recalibrating budget, followed by 43 percent assessing whether to continue remote work options, and 34 percent considering alternative ways of conducting business (e.g. virtual delivery of services, different product offerings).
Human Resources plans to build on practices such as these:
- 45% - Review policies such as: remote work, vacation, employee travel and return to work, attendance
- 36% - Consider the plan to return employees to work: timeline, pace, layoff recall schedule, working through different scenarios
- 27% - Consider action items around employee engagement and re-engaging employees
Safety continues to be a significant concern for employers. Below are the top four safety measures being considered:
- 63% - Continue protocols which promote a safe workplace (e.g. sanitizing, taking temperatures, wearing masks)
- 58% - Plan ongoing communication around safety and wellness in the workplace
- 52% - Review options to support ongoing social distancing practices
- 24% - Prepare for re-entry to work facilities (e.g. deep cleaning, reconfiguring office, workspace or plant layout)
Conclusion
Businesses are starting to focus on phased-in reopening and recovery. Along with providing survey data as organizations are making strategic business decisions moving forward, MRA has more than 100 free resources available on its dedicated COVID-19 webpage www.mranet.org/covid-19-updates. Sample policies, documents, toolkits, webinars, and more, all open to any business. MRA’s HR Hotline 866.474.6854 is also available 24/7 for employers with human resource-related questions.
###
About MRA—The Management Association: MRA is the largest employer association in the Midwest, providing resources to 4,000 businesses annually to help them thrive. Headquartered in Waukesha, WI, MRA has regional offices in Palatine, IL; Moline, IL; and Plymouth, MN. To learn more about MRA, visit www.mranet.org.
