As the premiere organization for human resources, the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) is dedicated to create a work environment where people can be the best version of themselves. For them, the key to nation building is an enlightened, competent, socially responsible, and influential sector of people managers who put the human aspect of work at the center.
Under the new normal, PMAP suddenly found itself facing a different set of challenges, especially with the work from home set up becoming the new norm.
“For those working from home, there were very specific challenges. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) struggled with digital connectivity. Because at the outset, not all were provided with laptops or desktop computers. Many businesses were caught flat footed in that, but you could see the agility of the businessmen in that,” said PMAP Executive Director Rene Gener. He also shared that only 17.7% of Filipino households have internet access, which further accentuates the problem of connectivity.
In addition to digital connectivity, another issue employers and employees encountered during this work from home set up is the tracking of output. Now that work is measured through output instead of hours, it can be difficult for some businesses to monitor the productivity of their employees.
However, for Gener, one of the most critical problems facing the workforce during the pandemic is mental health.
“There have been many cases of mental health issues because when you work from home, you not only have to manage your workplace; you also have to manage your household chores. At the same time, you also have to manage your elders if you live with them along with having to care for your children. So all this comes into play during work from home arrangements,” he said.
Creative Solutions
Despite the new set of problems brought about by Covid-19, Gener shared that PMAP and its members were able to come up with solutions to support and empower their employees. For them, whatever costs the business was able to save from working from home must be redirected towards the employees. This also ensures security and loyalty from employees.
“For us in PMAP, we really adjusted to the situation. For example, we shifted some of our benefits. Those benefits that were no longer useful to our employees because of the situation. we shifted it into something beneficial to those working at home. We allowed our employees to take their work laptops home and shifted their benefits to things such as internet allowances,” he said.
Additionally, PMAP also made sure that they collaborated with various government sectors such as the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DICT) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for help with their internet connectivity. They served as a bridge between their members and government agencies in the creation of many favorable policies, such as the creation of special risk allowances for frontline public health workers. They also connected employees and members alike to mental health professionals to assist them through these uncertain times.
Human First Approach
However, at the center of all these initiatives is the idea of putting humans first. For Gener, the foundation of an efficient work from home set up is to always be considerate of the many aspects at play in an employee’s life, and from there both parties must work to create a strong partnership. In this manner, the relationship between employer and employee becomes a circle of give and take that benefits everyone involved.
“The employer must be truly trusting of his employees to be professionals, and at the same time employees must be trustworthy and show that they can work without an eye watching them. It does not work one way,” he said. “Employer support must be there. Regardless of what issues your employees face, you must give a caring and supportive attitude to them. Because the best and first thing to do is to improve the economic conditions of the employees, because if it improves, it will always go back to the employers in a different form. Thus, surviving this pandemic needs a strong collaboration between the employer and his employees.”