Flexible work arrangements and fairness during COVID-19
SUBSCRIBE
Many companies have stepped up to provide employees more flexible work arrangements during the COVID-19 crisis. However, doing so can also bring about questions of fairness and equal treatment. Many workers face stressful, unprecedented situations due to the COVID-19 crisis. Greater choice over when and where work gets done allows employees to better balance professional and personal demands. For example, a parent may need to shift hours in order to assist a child with online learning. An employee with an underlying condition could ask to continue working from home after the office reopens. Organizational attentiveness to such plights goes a long way toward maintaining productivity and building loyalty. However, companies need to remain sensitive to possible charges of preferential treatment for certain groups or individuals.