MRA’s Hot Topic Survey Shows Organizations are Ready
Kathryn Klopfer
Media Contact: Kathryn Klopfer, Marketing Communications & PR
[email protected] | 262.696.3426
MRA’s Hot Topic Survey Shows Organizations are Ready
MILWAUKEE, WI (May 26, 2020) MRA’s most recent weekly Hot Topic Survey on Coronavirus workplace realities focused on organization readiness.
“Employers thought going into the pandemic was hard. Coming out may be even harder! The uncertainty, changing rules, and the wide range of employee, customer, and supplier emotions and expectations is a daunting challenge, but organizations are showing they have resilience and are ready to return,” said Jim Morgan, MRA Vice President, Business Development & Workforce Strategies.
MRA recommends reopening slowly with safety as a primary consideration and having a comprehensive recovery plan in place. Survey results show that as states and organizations begin the reopening process concern over long-term implications to financial viability and business operations remain elevated.
Regarding workforce practices and preparation, more than 80 percent of organizations surveyed indicated that they are “very well” to “moderately” prepared to open or resume operations and provide a safe work environment.
For return-to-work strategies for remote workers, employers are exercising caution.
- 35% of employees working remote will continue until further notice as we monitor the situation
- 34% will coordinate alternating employees working remote to promote social distancing
- 11% will bring all remote workers back immediately after mandates are lifted
- 11% anticipate allowing employees to continue working remote for foreseeable future
MRA’s survey also found while some organizations have halted hiring in the interim (22 percent), most are hiring due to mission critical needs (41 percent), employee turnover (32 percent), and/or increased business demand (20 percent).
Organizations are adjusting or creating new policies. The top five policies and procedures to adapt to the “new normal” include:
- 81% Social distancing
- 76% Personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, shields, gloves, dividers)
- 75% Remote work
- 74% Sanitation/Hygiene
- 69% Workplace meetings
Compensation has also been adjusted due to the business or financial disruption caused by COVID-19.
- 47% Delayed, eliminated, or reduced size of merit increases
- 30% Eliminated overtime
- 29% Froze wages, salaries, promotional increases, and/or market adjustments
- 25% Reduced wages/salaries with or without schedule reduction
- 20% Reduced or eliminated bonuses/incentives (20%)
Employers are struggling with how much is enough in terms of accommodating a wide range of employee needs--balancing expectations is turning out to be difficult. The top five challenges HR is facing include:
- Creating new policies, or updating existing policies, to align with “new normal”
- Implementing our workforce safety plan, including ordering supplies, PPE, signage, and documenting, communicating and training employees
- Following communication strategy (e.g. consistent flow of information and updates for employees, customers, vendors)
- Knowing how to respond to employees who don’t want to work, for various reasons
- Looking ahead in workforce planning (e.g. predicting future workforce needs in changing environment)
“There are some positives from the pandemic. Projects that languished for months, maybe years, got done in days because they had to. Technology strengths and weaknesses have become apparent, as have employees use of technology. And, many have found remote workers have actually increased productivity and are reevaluating their work requirements,” added Morgan.
“’Never let a good crisis go to waste,’ is an old political saying, but in this case, it is a business strategy. Employers are finding employees who have stepped up in the midst of chaos, they have found new speed and agility, and they have challenged some long-held beliefs about how work is done and have made improvements.”
Moving forward requires current and future preparation. MRA suggests taking steps early will better position organizations for growth and success as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. MRA’s Hot Topic Survey shows 48 percent or organizations are currently evaluating what will need to change post-COVID-19.
Along with providing survey data as organizations are making strategic business decisions moving forward, MRA has more than 100 free COVID-related resources, along with workforce planning information available on its dedicated COVID-19 webpage www.mranet.org/covid-19-updates MRA’s HR Hotline 866.474.6854 is also available 24/7 for employers with human resource-related questions.
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About MRA—The Management Association: MRA is one of the largest nonprofit employer associations in the nation, 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.
