Covid 19 used as reasons for employers to take advantages of their employee. This presentation discusses on this issues.

1. By: Dr Vinesh Raj.S JRF
BDS,MBA,FAD,MFDS RCS

2. INTRODUCTION
Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, as renamed by World
Health Organization (WHO), is a communicable disease caused by
infection by a novel coronavirus which started as a cluster of
severe pneumonia cases.(Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020)
.

3. The exponentially growing number of cases resulted in the governments
around the world are forced to impose a method of controlling the
outbreak, and a majority of the countries had strategized a restricted
movement order which resulted in impact towards big industries, mainly
the world’s economy
Lockdown cities with no business

4. The uncertainties in the financial constrain due to Covid 19 on
organizations have placed the board of directors in though position. The
ethics of an employer have been on a thin thread between priority of the
organization and well-being of the employee. For many, Covid 19 has
been an opportunity of scapegoat for the employer towards their
employee

5. 1)RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Covid 19 is well known to be originated from Wuhan, China(Huang et al.,
2020),this have brought to discrimination against certain group of
ethnic(https://plus.google.com/+UNESCO, 2020).
Employers have been known to us this as a ‘proxy’ for harassment and avoid
hiring Asian in their company.(Spiggle, n.d.)

6. It is understandable if an employer prefers to avoid hiring a candidate
who is diagnosed covid 19 positive.
The employer may decide on this after screen job applicant for covid 19,
prefers a new hire or delay date of hiring as suspect of covid 19 positive
or not hire a job applicant due to confirmed covid 19 positive.(Spiggle,
n.d.)
Protest in USA

7. PERSONAL CONFLICT
Employer and employee may not see eye to eye and this is a norm in an
organization and may form a bitter sweet relation between an employer and the
employee.

8. The Covid 19 has been used as advantage by many employees for revenge
in this conflict. The ideal decision is to “save what can be saved”(Ethical
Decision-Making for Directors during COVID-19, n.d.) rather than “destroy
another for own satisfaction”.
Retain the essentials are most crucial in this time for survival of the
company but this may lead to retrenchment of disliked employee due to
personal emotion and reason of Covid 19 is used to show this disaffection.

9. RETERNCHMENT AND SALARY CUT
Various form of assist from the government and bank has been provided to
ensure the economy survives.
In this stage, it’s advisable for employer to cut the optional(Ethical Decision-
Making for Directors during COVID-19, n.d.), this strategy may assist the
organization to cut unnecessary cost and some cash can be kept aside, which
can be used to preserve jobs of the employee.

10. Many employers may use the Covid 19 name to resort to retrenchment of
their employee, to ensure their business afloat.
In such condition, it is best to share the pain, where the employer can cut
his own income and preserve at least basic salary of the employee.
Another side of this is seen where the employer cutting salary of
employee up to 50% or even order to take leave without salary in sake of
his own company per say.

11. HONORING A PROMISE
In Japan, honoring a promise (Ethical Decision-Making for Directors during
COVID-19, n.d.)is the most important, in ancient time people who do not
honor them are sentence to “Hara-kiri”, ritual suicide by disembowelment
with a sword, formerly practiced in Japan by samurai as an honorable
alternative to disgrace or dishonor.

12. This value should be maintained even in modern times. An employer should
honor his promises to his employee, even during hard times.
If the employer is having difficulties to meet ends, do discuss with the
employee and come a rational discussion. The quote of “as long my
company and I survive is important” is been idolized.

13. ALTERNATIVE FOR EMPLOYEE
Titan sized company will be most affected due to the pandemic but at the
same time they are the company that has largest connections.
They should support furloughed employee or even temporarily lay off with
basic salary until work resumes.(HR’s COVID-19 Response Defines
Employer Brand, n.d.)

14. Example, an airline company sure tied too other industries such as
tourism, food and beverages, and etc. They can use the networking they
build to temporarily place their staff there as for employee financial
purpose. Sadly much airline company decided to retrench their staff off
and covid 19 was used as scapegoat.
Airline company plan on retrenchment,covered by KBC news

15. WELL BEING OF EMPLOYEE
Financial status of the company is crucial for the employer per say, thus the
decision of financial well-being of organization or employee or organization
and employee have to be made.(HR’s COVID-19 Response Defines
Employer Brand, n.d.)
Honestly between organization and employee for sure is not fair comparison,
with hands down the wellbeing of organization will be preferred.

16. Never the less, the employer can work out deals with government, banks
and other organization to maintain the wellbeing of both organization and
employee.
Own preference comes in and only to protect the organization by the
employer and employee have been laid off.
RSI,made article on how to support employee well-beig during Covid

17. HEALTH OF EMPLOYEE
Covid 19 do not only concern regarding financial well-being of employee but
also their health.(Impact Of COVID 19 On Employment Relationships -
Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Egypt, n.d.)
It is advisable for employee to work from home. As for employee who
conducts physical labor must follow the Covid 19 guidelines set by the
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defense.
This will lead to cost investment by the employer. Adding to it, employees are
now allowed to work from office with strict adherence to Covid 19 guidelines.
Many employers takes this as a change and let the staff work from home as
they don’t have to pay full salary, employer also don’t have to invest to make
the office to follow Covid 19 guidelines and specifications .Another reason to
continue working from home is to avoid doing Covid 19 screening where the
cost have to bared by the employer.

18. OSHA workplace safety tips for Covid 19

19. CONCLUSION
This pandemic has been a test for many employers’ ethics towards their
employee.
Treat all employees by compassion and discuss with them as times are bad.
If retrenchment is the only option, it should be done properly following the
labor law and compensation might need to be provided.
Covid 19 also should not be used as a tool for racial discrimination at work.
Employers should do their best to manage wellbeing of both the company and
employee.

20. Agreement and promises should be honored, unless there is no absolute
solution, it’s advised the employee to inform and discuss the issue with
employee before final decision.
Alternative work scope can be provided by company for basic financial
wellbeing of employee.
Accepting offers and assist from government and banks should be
considered
Safety and health of employee should be maintained following the Ministry
,WHO and OSHA guidelines
Personal conflict should be kept a side as this pandemic require us to be
more human than ever to help each other.

21. REFERENCE
1)Cucinotta, D., & Vanelli, M. (2020). WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Bio-
Medica: Atenei Parmensis, 91(1), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i1.9397
2)Ethical decision-making for directors during COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from
https://aicd.companydirectors.com.au/membership/company-director-magazine/2020-back-
editions/may/ethical-decision-making-for-directors-during-covid-19
3)HR’s COVID-19 Response Defines Employer Brand. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from
//www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/hrs-covid-19-response-defines-employer-brand/
4)https://plus.google.com/+UNESCO. (2020, May 25). COVID-19-related discrimination and
stigma: A global phenomenon? UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-related-
discrimination-and-stigma-global-phenomenon
5)Huang, C., Wang, Y., Li, X., Ren, L., Zhao, J., Hu, Y., Zhang, L., Fan, G., Xu, J., Gu, X.,
Cheng, Z., Yu, T., Xia, J., Wei, Y., Wu, W., Xie, X., Yin, W., Li, H., Liu, M., … Cao, B. (2020).
Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet
(London, England), 395(10223), 497–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30183-5
6)Impact Of COVID 19 On Employment Relationships—Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Egypt.
(n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.mondaq.com/employment-and-workforce-
wellbeing/922064/impact-of-covid-19-on-employment-relationships
7)Spiggle, T. (n.d.). Coronavirus Scapegoating: Employment Discrimination Against Asian
Americans. Forbes. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomspiggle/2020/04/20/coronavirus-scapegoating-employment-
discrimination-against-asian-americans/