COVID-19 workforce management

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped how Americans work. Companies around the world have had to rethink their approach to work, workforce and workplace. Whether managing an increased volume of work-from-home employees or preparing for the return of employees to offices, facilities, distribution centers, and client sites, ‘now’ presents an opportunity to develop a principled approach to immediate workforce needs while also planning for the workforce and workplace of tomorrow. 

Like all other employers, especially those with “essential” employees, we at CVS Health have worked to understand and even embrace changing workforce dynamics. And as more employees return to work, we have developed a framework for how companies cannot only think through immediate employee needs, but also plan for the workplace of the future. I recently shared our key areas of focus and steps we took in a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) webinar.

The webinar focused on the five key areas on which a workplace ‘return-to-worksite’ plan should be focused.

• Employee health and safety: Reduce employees’ vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic through policies, support, and ongoing monitoring, and ensure a healthy and safe environment for all employees present in the workplace. This includes use of masks or face coverings to safeguard employees, temperature checks, hand washing and symptom screenings, and changes to facilities to support physical distancing, as well as enhanced workplace and common area cleaning protocols.
• Workforce management: Ensure the workforce meets the rapidly changing supply/demand requirements and plan for re-entry. Launch a re-entry strategy and execution plan that creates a consistent and enterprise-wide approach to who, when and how employees will return to the workplace.
• Employee motivation and productivity: Provide employees with tools, capabilities, and initiatives to meet evolving business/operational requirements. Changing workplace dynamics ― such as unexpectedly long periods of remote and virtual work ― will require companies to further focus on supporting engagement and assessing productivity. This includes supporting employees with tools and resources, supporting employee wellness, instituting recognition initiatives that help boost employee morale, and updating methods for assessing productivity.
• Leadership preparedness: Ensure leaders display the necessary traits and behaviors to lead the organization through challenging times. We took an approach based on three key pillars: consistent messaging, change management support and support infrastructure.
• Talent processes: Adapt the company’s approach to talent sourcing, performance management and rewards to meet new business imperatives. This includes understanding how a company can facilitate ongoing engagement, motivation and productivity during periods of rapid change.

We want to ensure that our employees, customers and communities continue to stay safe. Whether it’s on the frontline of care, in a production facility, or in a CVS Health or home office ― we all are learning from and adapting to the rapidly changing environment. Because we are health care innovators, we will continue to reimagine the future of our workplace. Our purpose and values are enduring, along with our relentless focus on making health care better for those we serve.