As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread there has been a worrying rise in harassment, bullying, and discrimination in the workplace. Initially, this was seen to be race-related - targeting people of Asian origin - but has since spread to include people who expressed symptoms of the virus. Now as large swathes of the global workforce move to a working from home model, employers are faced with a new challenge - that the vector for workplace discrimination will shift in parallel with the main mode of communication. Neta Meidav, co-founder & CEO of Vault Platform, explores this phenomenon below.

Tasked not only with rapidly implementing a company-wide working from home strategy to keep businesses that are still operational up and running, many HR functions are also operationally responsible for mass layoffs all while building a crisis information and communication plan out. Bluntly, HR teams are maxed out and will struggle to field a rising number of queries about the new workplace etiquette.

Law firm Lewis Silkin LLP estimates that around 59% of large multinational enterprises have already put into place a plan to respond to pandemic diseases such as Coronavirus. Typical measures include social distancing and remote working arrangements. The majority (88%) of are managing self-isolation by asking employees to work from home.

It’s difficult to actually get a handle on the number of people whose jobs allow them to work fully remotely, especially with such an unprecedented situation. But cloud security services firm Netskope, which routes corporate traffic for hundreds of thousands of office workers said it estimates that the number of American knowledge workers (white collar desk workers) logging in from home hit a high of 58% on March 19. This is up from an average of 27% over the last six months.

While there may be some anecdotal evidence that the untested shift to an emergency working form model is in fact working, it is early days and there is plenty of research that points to warnings we should all be heeding.

Bluntly, HR teams are maxed out and will struggle to field a rising number of queries about the new workplace etiquette.

A 2017 study by David Maxfield and Joseph Grenny for leadership training consultancy VitalSmarts found that just over half of people who work mostly remotely feel they don’t get treated equally by their colleagues. Now the obvious retort is that ‘we’re all remote workers now,’ so the playing field is levelled. But research suggests the problem is more with the medium than whether workers fall into the ‘in office’ or ‘WFH’ camps.

Some 30% of UK respondents to a survey by Totaljobs in 2018 said they had been victims of workplace discrimination on official corporate messaging platforms, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat. In the US, a 2019 survey by Monster.com revealed that 39% of respondents had received aggressive messages from colleagues on similar tools.

Cyber-bullying has been well documented for some time and remains as persistent in the corporate workplace as it does in schools and colleges. A recent high-profile case focuses on the departure of the CEO of leading consumer brand Away after an exposé of bullying culture over Slack.

The revelations of Away are an anomaly - most incidents go unreported. The same studies show that 30% of workers in the UK (according to Totaljobs) and 34% in the US (according to Monster.com) who do experience cyberbullying suffer in silence because they are not confident they will be supported by their employer. Lloyds of London was exposed in December last year after their complaint hotlines were proved to be inoperative for 16 months due to unpaid phone bills, and in 2018 the Financial Conduct Authority put senior managers on notice that their futures in the City were at risk if they did not take diversity seriously, while companies faced fines after a 220% increase in interpersonal whistleblowing complaints over the previous 12 months. According to Totaljobs, around 8% find it easier to leave their jobs than to complain and request an investigation into the situation.

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Digital workers are disincentivised from reporting workplace misconduct in the same way as employees that spend all their time in the physical presence of their colleagues. Firstly, the available channels for reporting misconduct are intimidating; and secondly, they don’t feel confident their employer will act on the report.

But the fact remains that employers are legally obliged to protect their workers and that responsibility doesn’t change because they are now out of sight. While ethically, employers should take more care during these uncertain times.

• Remind your employees of your organisation’s discrimination and harassment policies and ensure that these are adapted for a remote-first culture (i.e. how they apply to discrimination across messaging apps) and are easily available.
• Encourage a speak up culture: stigmatising issues (such as with race-related discrimination due to COVID-19) can be challenging for employees to report. Without effective reporting tools in place, many will suffer in silence.
• Take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment : Typically, employers will only avoid liability in the event of a discrimination case if they can show they have taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to protect employees, such as implementing an effective and secure solution for reporting sensitive issues that take place in person or digitally.

With the entire world feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have found themselves in a precarious position. While virtually every enterprise is guaranteed to feel some degree of financial sting, the safety of your most precious assets – i.e., your team members – is infinitely more important than profit during this trying time. After all, if your employees can’t depend on you to prioritize their wellbeing at this point in time, when can they count on you? Business owners and entrepreneurs looking for ways to help guide their team members through this global crisis will be well-served by the following pointers.

Fully Embrace Telecommuting

No matter what your personal views on telecommuting are, fully embracing it is one of the most effective ways to keep your team members safe throughout this crisis. In order to flatten the curve and control the rate of infection, people need to isolate as much as possible. The more time your employees spend outside of their homes, the more opportunities for infection they’ll encounter, and it won’t take long for a single COVID-stricken employee to infect your entire workforce. Since carriers can be asymptomatic for weeks before the infection becomes apparent, it may be too late to control the spread by the time the initial carrier is noticeably ill. Additionally, for some carriers, the virus manifests itself through mild to mid-level cold or flu symptoms, so the infected party may believe themselves to be suffering from something less serious and come to work sick. Keep in mind that even if a carrier only has a mild case of COVID-19, the people they spread the virus to can have far more serious cases.

It is also vital that lines of communication be kept open while employees are working remotely. For guidance on how to keep your business’s finances stable during this time, Shakespeare Martineau’s Chris von Strandmann has offered advice on developing effective contingency plans.

Keep in mind that even if a carrier only has a mild case of COVID-19, the people they spread the virus to can have far more serious cases.

Send Money to Employees in Immediate Need

Many of us live paycheck to paycheck. Due largely in part to an ever-increasing cost of living, building robust savings simply isn’t feasible for most members of the workforce. That being the case, a single medical emergency, furlough or delayed paycheck can prove financially ruinous. As such, if any of your employees are in immediate need of emergency funds, now is the time to be generous. Whether they’re dealing with steep medical bills, require help making rent or need money for food, there’s never been a better time to show your team members just how much they mean to you. Fortunately, there are many convenient ways to send money to people in need.

Relax Stringent Deadlines

The world has changed dramatically in a very short span of time. Not only has the virus caused many enterprises to change the way they do business, it’s prompted many people to rethink their individual priorities. With people concerned about their personal safety, worrying about loved ones and dealing with sick family members, some individuals have had no choice but to put career matters on the backburner. In light of all the outside issues your team members are dealing with during this time, you should consider relaxing stringent project deadlines. Work can still be important, but with a pandemic ravaging the globe, it shouldn’t be your team’s foremost priority.

On the subject of deadlines, if you are worried about the pandemic leaving you unable to complete your contracts, then you aren’t alone. Consider looking into whether these contracts might be mitigated by frustration or force majeure clauses.

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Giving Sick Employees Time to Recover

Few things are more difficult than effectively doing your job while sick. Additionally, employers who expect team members to perform their usual duties while stricken will illness generally aren’t looked upon favorably by the general public. With this in mind, allow any employee who’s fallen ill to take a paid break from work until such time as they are completely better. Their recovery is infinitely more important than any financial setbacks you may suffer.

For the vast majority of us, the COVID-19 pandemic is a completely unprecedented occurrence. Aside from the few centurions who were around for the Spanish flu, no one in the developed world has experienced anything of this magnitude in their lifetime. There’s no denying that this is a frightening time to be living through. With infection numbers increasing by the day and a definitive cure not currently existing, even the most levelheaded among us can’t help but feel tremendous worry. Additionally, given the scope and severity of this virus, businesses – and world economies – are sure to be adversely impacted. However, in these troubled times, it is imperative that the safety and wellbeing of your team members take precedence over profit.

Choosing a global location for your business can be a fraught one, especially if you don’t have insider knowledge about the country you are considering. There could be economic and political factors to take into account, so just how do you choose the best business destinations and locations to trade from? Here Irma Hunkeler, of Blue Glass, lists the 10 best business destinations you didn’t know about.

We have rounded up a list of some of the top destinations that businesses should look at worldwide, and the results may surprise you! As we move into an ever-expanding and connected global market there are now more places than ever to do business, whether you are setting up shop to trade, or if you are simply looking for a place to work digitally from your laptop. Here are the top 10 global business destinations that you should consider:

10. Canary Islands

Photo: Commons Wiki

The Canary Islands attracted more than 29,000 people related to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events) sector in 2015, thus generating a turnover of more than 31 million Euros. Tenerife in particular is a firm favourite and is an ideal spot for trade fairs, workshops, conferences and conventions due to its modern international airports, sunny climate and avant-garde conferencing facilities. Moreover, research from easyCar shows that these islands in Spain are among some of the most affordable destinations in Europe to hire a car, making them the perfect destination for business or pleasure.

9. Lisbon

Photo: Pixabay

Lisbon is fast becoming one of the most cosmopolitan places to be in business thanks to creatives who are reinforcing technology start-ups. Young entrepreneurs from all over Europe have been drawn to Lisbon to party, live and work, and the Portuguese capital hosted a large Web Summit in 2016, showing that it is the ideal setting to promote future trends in digital and technology.

8. Cape Town

Photo: Pixabay

Cape Town has recently established itself internationally as a competitive and sophisticated business events destination, and has been consistently voted the number one conference city in Africa and the Middle East. Companies such as Corinium Global Intelligence regularly run large scale C-suite level conferences and events in Cape Town, and the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has secured a bid recently to host the 2022 International Congress on Immunology.

7. Bruges

Photo: Pixabay

Bruges is another great hidden business destination. Small though the city may be, it has been firmly pinned on the map as Europe’s leading capital of gastronomy, making it an excellent place to eat out. In 2020, a new convention and exhibition centre is due to be launched. This will boast a large exhibition space and a congress infrastructure for around 500 to 600 participants with a meeting space, breakout rooms and networking areas.

6. Malta

Photo: Pixabay

Malta is a greatly overlooked hidden gem in which to set up a business or host conferences and meetings. The 2017 Local Government Conference will take place in Valletta from 21-24 November. Plus, construction work has begun on the Malta branch of Crane Currency, a major banknote printing firm, which signals the single greatest investment by a manufacturing company on the island since the 1980s. More companies are sure to follow suit andshowcasw the island’s current investment power. Furthermore, Malta is noted for its healthy work-life balance, so it’s ideal for those looking for the best of both worlds.

Click next to see the top 5 business destinations you didn't know about

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