Covid times: Global HR majors come out with handbook of safe work practices

For the first time, the Indian operations of rival global HR majors — The Adecco Group, ManpowerGroup, Gi Group and Randstad — have come together under the Indian Alliance banner to release ‘Safely Back To Work - Best Practices Handbook.

The handbook is a compilation of health and safety protocols that will enable businesses and workers to safely return to the physical workplace when the time is right. The report covers four sectors — Manufacturing, Infrastructure, IT/ITES and Pharma, Healthcare and Life Sciences.

Marcos Segador Arrebola, Managing Director, Gi Group India, in a joint press release said that with Covid cases in country crossing 60,000 a day, the challenge is to create a safe environment that assures the security of the workforce. Leadership must act to ensure workplaces are both productive and safe.

For this reason, the alliance created with Randstad, The Adecco Group, ManpowerGroup and Gi Group is willing to minimise the devastating effects of the virus into the economy and people’s lives by creating safer workplace environments for us all, he said.

The handbook has been curated with participation from organisations such as — Nasscom Insights, Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India, Stanton Chase and Emotional Wellness Partner, YourDOST.

The handbook lists the measures under themes: Workforce protection, Non-employee protection, Business Process Adaptations and Employer-led Health Interventions for each of the sectors.

The handbook is the first in a series, with the next one covering retail, e-commerce and business services/consulting. It incorporates practical guidelines and recommendations that companies can learn from and implement as per their specific needs. It also features a special section towards emotional well being, says a joint press release.

Recommendations include re-modelling the workplaces for greater spacing between employees to reduce the risk of infection; creating visual cues such as markings or projections on the floors and interfaces to indicate safe distances for workers and using motion-control or touchless doors and interfaces throughout the workspace to minimise the risk of workers contacting a contaminated surface.

Sandeep Gulati, MD, ManpowerGroup India, said, the attempt is to ease off some pressure by providing a ready reckoner of recommended safety guidelines and employee wellness parameters, which is a compilation of industry best practices.

According to Paul Dupuis, MD & CEO, Randstad India, workplaces are now at a critical juncture as they gear up for a phased shift from remote work to restart operations, supporting their employees with a safe, healthy and productive work environment. The need to embrace agility, adopt new ways of working and workforce management, with greater emphasis on the mental well-being of employees has never been more important than it is now, he said.

Marco Valsecchi, Country Manager and MD, The Adecco Group, India said, “Our alliance with Randstad, ManpowerGroup and Gi Group attempts to bring forward the expertise to identify and control work-related safety measures and protocols for our stakeholders and clients who want to build a sustainable and inclusive post-Covid 19 world of work.”