A number of prominent C-suite executives have gotten tagged with the “tone-deaf” label due to their recent comments that the most productive and engaged employees are the ones who are most anxious to return to the workplace, whether it be an office, a plant, a facility, whatever. Some have even suggested that those employees who are comfortable working from home tend to be the least engaged with their companies. In the eyes of these senior executives, apparently, it’s not as important what you do or how much you do as is it where you do it. The pandemic has led a lot of people to say some really dumb things, but this has to be one of the dumbest yet.
Let’s set aside for a moment that nobody was happy when the world went into lockdown last spring, forcing employees to upend their normal daily routines, and in some cases (such as those with young children whose schools had closed), to leave the workforce entirely.
Let’s also not mention the horrific toll that COVID-19 has wrought on people’s lives. As of this writing (in May 2021), more than 32 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus and more than 580,000 people have died from COVID—by far the most cases and deaths of any country in the world.
And let’s not even bring up the mental health crisis exacerbated by the isolation many workers have felt from being separated from friends, loved ones, co-workers and other members of their community.
So, for the sake of the argument, even if we don’t talk about any of those things, there is still a major consideration that these out-of-touch senior executives have conveniently forgotten: The pandemic hasn’t ended.
That’s right—the very same conditions that led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic in March 2020 still haven’t improved to the point where the situation can be downgraded to regional epidemics. Yes, the Herculean efforts that went into developing, distributing and administering the vaccines have worked far better than anybody had a reasonable right to hope and there is an end in sight. Nevertheless, the pandemic is still ongoing.
And yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that, thanks to the efficacy of the vaccines, anybody in the U.S. who has gone two weeks since their last COVID vaccination can resume activities “without wearing masks or physically distancing” in places that are agreeable to the loosened restrictions.
However, the National Safety Council (NSC) quickly issued a statement observing that the CDC’s guidance “does not take away any of the complexity out of managing the safety of a partially vaccinated workforce. Employers should still take a risk-based approach based on their specific work environment to ensure the safety of all workers. In addition, employers must be prepared to verify the vaccination status of employees while complying with appropriate employee laws and protocols. Further, employers should continue to create a safe, inclusive workplace culture where all workers, no matter their vaccination status, feel safe and supported.”
That’s a lot of exceptions to pack into a cautionary note, but it goes right to the main point that some C-suite execs would like to avoid: Employees are only going to come back to the workplace if they’re confident it’s safe for them to do so.
Travis Vance, partner with legal firm Fisher Phillips, has pointed out that both the CDC and OSHA are still recommending people wear masks in most workplaces. “Inconsistent guidance at the state and federal levels will be a common issue for employers over the next several months, with federal OSHA and the CDC mandating certain requirements, and more and more states eliminating certain required measures,” he points out. For that reason, Vance notes, companies need to not only stay in close communication with their employees, but they also need to address any and all concerns they might have about their safety when returning to the workplace.
Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the NSC, says that one of the smartest things companies can do is to promote the idea of getting fully vaccinated to their employees. “Employers can play a direct role in helping to encourage vaccine uptake, especially if they deploy policies and approaches that are backed by public health research,” she advises.
So, recognizing that many employees—vaccinated or not—are still rightfully skittish about working next to other people during a pandemic, the best thing safety leaders can do is what you always do: Ensure that the workplace is safe.
