Coronavirus: How Employers Around the World React
Companies are asking for an answer because the coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease COVID-19 is spreading worldwide. During a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) webcast on March 10, an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked employers to do everything they can to slow the coronavirus.
We have collected the following information, which reflects the various ways that organizations respond to protect their employees and businesses.
Emergency leave
Walmart allows any worker who is worried about coronavirus to stay at home “without punishment”
Walmart has introduced an emergency leave scheme for its 1.4 million workers in the US, allowing them to take time off work with impunity if they fear the spread of a new virus. The country’s largest private employer said on Tuesday that an employee at its store in Cynthiana, Ken, tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Colorado will demand paid sick leave for some workers in response to coronavirus
The state of Colorado will soon require employers to provide paid sick leave to hundreds of thousands of service and hospitality workers in response to the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The Jared Polis government announced this new policy on Tuesday morning with the declaration of a state of emergency.
Therapy Sessions
Starbucks will offer free therapy to all employees
Beginning April 6, Starbucks employees will be able to use their therapy sessions to meet with a consultant in person or via video conferencing, the company told. They will also have unlimited access to self-care applications through Lyra Health Inc., a software company that connects people to mental health services through their employer. The company said it will begin offering 20 free therapy sessions per year to all employees, including part-time employees, as part of a broader plan for mental health benefits.
Starbucks planned its new mental health program before the coronavirus outbreak, but said it would help reduce workers’ fear of the pandemic.
Staff Relief Fund
Amazon Launches $25 Million Relief Fund for Truck Drivers and Seasonal Workers in the Midst of Coronavirus Outbreak
Amazon is launching a $25 million relief fund for truck drivers and seasonal workers in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, the company announced March 11. The aim is to help employees “who are in financial distress during these difficult times,” the company said. These include drivers from Amazon Flex and its network of delivery partners who handle last-mile parcel deliveries, as well as seasonal workers who help the company manage fluctuations in customer demand during peak periods and holidays. Amazon will allow these employees to apply for grants of up to two weeks’ salary if they are diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Starbucks will offer “disaster compensation” to baristas exposed to coronavirus…
Starbucks said this week that it is offering “disaster compensation” to American baristas exposed to the coronavirus. It pays employees up to 14 days’ pay if they have been diagnosed with, exposed to, or have been in close contact with a person infected with the coronavirus. Employees who can be considered to be at high risk due to their basic state of health are also entitled to benefits if they have a medical certificate. The company has introduced similar measures in China.
Reduced store opening hours
Walmart is cutting back its hours, stores are closing across America
Walmart said March 14 that it will change the hours of operation of its more than 4,700 U.S. stores beginning March 15 to help employees fill shelves overnight and clean stores. Other stores such as Publix, Giant, Stop & Shop, and H-E-B have changed their hours in recent days. Some retailers, such as Urban Outfitters and Patagonia, are temporarily closing their doors worldwide.
Manic attitude, bonuses
Amazon Hires 100,000 People in its Warehouses and Delivery Services as Coronavirus Closes Its Doors
Amazon.com Inc. plans to hire an additional 100,000 employees in the U.S. as millions turn to online distribution at an unprecedented rate and Americans continue to redirect their lives to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
CVS hires 50,000 people to deal with the coronavirus rush and gives bonuses to employees
CVS Pharmacy, one of the few companies to expand its business during the coronavirus pandemic, announced on March 23 that it would hire 50,000 new employees and give bonuses to those already employed. Part-time workers in the retail and healthcare chain are now entitled to 24 hours paid sick leave, in addition to the 14 days paid leave for anyone who tests positive for coronavirus.
Walmart pays $550 million in benefits and hires 150,000 temporary workers
Walmart Inc. said it will pay special cash bonuses totaling $550 million to its employees on an hourly basis and hire 150,000 temporary workers as the country’s largest retailer tries to cope with a shopping frenzy triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl supermarkets are in the race for jobs.
In Britain, supermarkets have triggered a hiring frenzy due to the high demand caused by the coronavirus crisis. Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl said they would hire thousands of people after demand rose sharply and customers emptied the shelves. Supermarkets were overwhelmed by a wave of shopping panic as consumers rushed to shop in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus test
New York Hospitality Workers Union offers coronavirus testing to its members
The health insurance company, which is run by the city’s powerful hotel workers’ union, will soon offer coronavirus testing to more than 90,000 people. Approximately 40,000 workers and 50,000 of their unionized and retired relatives are covered by the plan set up by the New York City Hotel Business Council.
Introduction of the Virtual Framework
Coronavirus forces EA to virtualize with the recruitment of some students
EY, one of the top four accounting firms in the UK, conducted some of its student recruitment virtually in response to the spread of the coronavirus.
Closures and quarantines
Starbucks closed a store in Seattle after the first case of coronavirus diagnosed in an employee
Starbucks temporarily closed a backup store in downtown Seattle after an employee was diagnosed with VIDOC-19 and quarantined on March 6. This is the first case of coronavirus contracted by a Starbucks employee in a store. The company immediately closed the affected store, initiated a thorough cleanup process, and sent home employees who had been in direct contact with the infected partner.
Free “contactless” delivery of food
Companies in the gig economy, from Uber to Lyft, are taking action in the face of the rising number of coronavirus cases
Uber and Lyft plan to compensate drivers affected by coronavirus for up to 14 days. Postmates and Instacart have introduced a “contactless” food delivery system. DoorDash allows customers to leave instructions in the application if they prefer to leave orders at the door. Amazon Flex, which relies on independent contractors for its deliveries, has no driver compensation policy and instead supports “on a case-by-case basis”.
Promotion of teleworking, restriction of office visits
Twitter invites employees to work from home as technology companies respond to Coronavirus
On 2 March, Twitter became the first major US company to strongly encourage its employees to work from home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
How IBM, Goldman Sachs, PwC and others are responding to the coronavirus threat
IBM, which stopped teleworking for some US employees almost three years ago, said on 27 February that it had asked workers in coronavirus-affected areas to work from home “wherever possible”. The policy was issued for IBM employees in China, Japan, South Korea, and Italy. The company also restricted travel to certain locations and canceled its personal attendance at the RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco.
Google urges more than 100,000 North American employees to stay at home
Google is instructing all its North American employees to stay at home at least until April 10, as the coronavirus COVID-19 is spreading, CNBC reported on March 10. CNBC reported on March 9 that the company has barred all outside visitors from some of its offices, including those in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, where its Silicon Valley headquarters are located.
UBS splits up teams in Switzerland and forces them to stop teleworking
Zurich-based Swiss bank UBS began this week to implement a policy of splitting up its operations in Switzerland as part of its fight against coronaviruses. The company has already implemented a similar policy for its employees in the Asia-Pacific region.
Cuomo calls on New York companies to divide work teams to prevent the spread of the coronavirus
The State of New York will ask companies to consider letting employees work two shifts and allow teleworking, the government said in an interview with CNN, Andrew Cuomo.
Domestic and International Travel Restrictions
Ford prohibits employees from traveling for fear of coronavirus
On 3 March, the Ford Motor Company informed workers that it was banning all non-essential air travel until at least 27 March due to concerns about the new coronavirus. Ford had restricted travel to and from China, but has now extended the ban to all flights, both international and domestic, out of concern for the health and safety of workers. There may be exceptions, a Ford spokesman said, but they are probably rare.
Cancellation of coronavirus exposure, travel ban
Google has canceled its largest developer conference on March 3, the I/O conference, which was scheduled for May in Mountain View, California. Last year, the three-day event attracted 7,000 attendees. The company said it would look for ways to “evolve” the event and create the possibility of live or remote sessions. Several other companies and organizations, including the World Bank and IMF, said they would replace face-to-face meetings and gatherings with virtual meetings.
Coronavirus conference canceled due to the presence of coronaviruses
The Council on Foreign Relations has canceled a roundtable scheduled for Friday in New York entitled “Doing Business on Coronavirus” due to the spread of the infection itself. The CCR also canceled other personal conferences scheduled for March 11 to April 3.
Airlines are canceling more and more flights, executors are accepting pay cuts because Coronavirus is charging for the flights
Combined CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby will waive their base salaries until at least June 30. United also said it is postponing “non-critical” projects that require capital spending, has received a $2 billion loan from a group of banks, and expects to record a loss in the first quarter. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said in a message to employees Monday that he would accept a 10 percent pay cut, and Delta said it would impose a hiring freeze, retire some aircraft and retire older planes.
Disinfected work areas
How restaurants in the Dallas area prepare their kitchens and dining rooms for the coronavirus
An additional hand disinfectant is only part of the effort. Some say food delivery is the next big thing. In one restaurant, teams have begun to disinfect credit card brands, surfaces and both sides of all door handles more regularly. Like many restaurants, she introduced more hand sanitizer dispensers and ordered touchless dispensers to replace manual dispensers.
Nike closed its global headquarters in Oregon for a thorough cleanup after the first death of a US coronavirus
Nike announced on March 1 that it had temporarily closed its headquarters in Beaverton, Ore, to clean up the campus after the first American COVID-19 death the day before. “Although we have no information indicating that Nike employees are at risk, we are conducting a thorough cleanup of the campus as a precaution,” a Nike spokesperson told KGW, the affiliated station in Portland, Ore, NBC. “All WHQ buildings and facilities, including fitness centers, will be closed this weekend.
Facebook closes offices in London and Singapore because of “Deep Clean” after employees were diagnosed with coronavirus
Facebook announced on 6 March that it would close its London office and part of its Singapore base for a “deep clean” after an employee in the Asian city-state was diagnosed with coronavirus.
