HR expert says common sense is easing Ireland's return to work

Caroline McEnery, managing director of The HR Suite.

PEOPLE'S willingness to engage with health guidelines and their ability to apply common sense will ensure Covid-19 controls are applied in the Irish workplace, says a leading HR expert.

As managing director of The HR Suite and a leading HR and employment law consultant, Caroline McEnery has visited a lot of workplaces in recent months. While the use of face masks may need to be applied differently for some people, overall signs point to sensible compliance.

“We know that from the start of the virus that people were generally willing to comply with the guidelines on 2m social distancing and washing hands,” said Caroline McEnery. “We all know that these behaviours are here to stay for a long time.

“We also know that we can't try to put in place rules that are just unenforceable. We need people to go back to work and for the country to get on with the 'New Normal' and reboot the economy.” 

 A tweet this week by Education Minister Simon Harris sparked some debate around the use of face masks. He expressed sympathy for a retail worker whose request that a shopper wear a face mask was not welcomed by the customer.

Much of the debate that followed centred on whether the wearing of face masks is a guideline or a mandatory regulation. However, many situations can be defused once people take time to listen to one another.

“People will become self-policing with the regulations,” said Caroline McEnery. “Anyone who is working in a customer-facing job knows the importance of good communication. That's true of people in retail, people working in hospital wards.

Signs on a Dublin construction site. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

“Some parents of children with a disability simply can't wear a face mask if it means they can't communicate with a child who needs to see their face. Some people have genuine reasons for exemptions.

“Those people know that they must stick to social distancing, and they require the sensitivity and understanding of others. People don't need any further naming and shaming when they feel they are already in the spotlight.” 

She says that she is seeing a great willingness among people in workplaces to comply with the accepted rules around social distancing. People are staying 2m apart, and it seems that this could become a generally accepted behaviour for the foreseeable future.

The HR Suite has developed a 'Return to Work Safely' protocol that covers all of the key workplace issues raised by the pandemic.

Anyone who has returned to work will no doubt have gone through some form of induction training. These are in line with each client company's policies, rather than strictly aligned to a national regulation.

The templates for returning to work cover topics such as remote work guidance, worker-led representation, guidance on annual leave, guidance on implementing annual leave.

Templates for implementing the return cover: a log for contact tracing; instruction for workers to follow if they develop signs and symptoms of Covid-19 during work (via a policy); a pre-return work form.

The HR Suite is also helping companies to conduct a basic office risk assessment, along with guidance on how to complete it; a return to work letter following lay off; a guide to writing a memo to workers as regards reminders and welcome back; and an annual leave management letter.

Everything about the pathways currently being created to allow people to return to work really is completely new to people. The fine margins between guidelines and regulations will be teased out and severely tested in due course.

There have been cases of workers tripping and hurting themselves due to reduced visibility while wearing a dirty visor. Where does the responsibility for any resulting damage lie?

What if customers enter the premises and they are not wearing a face mask, is it is the employer's responsibility? These can be very tense questions for an employer to consider.

The return to work also raises a lot of tense issues for employees. A worker can rightly ask 'What if it is not comfortable for me to wear a face mask? What options do I have?' Or 'What if I am medically exempt from wearing one, and how do I become exempt?'

We need people to go back to work and for the country to get on with the 'New Normal' and reboot the economy.

“Most situations can be managed when people take time to communicate properly. People working with the public know that people will sometimes genuinely just forget to bring a mask with them.

“It is all about how you deal with the situation. There are ways of telling people that a mask is mandatory within your workplace if that is the case.

“Basic communication training goes a long way. It is important to give people the confidence they need to deal with situations that arise.” 

Sometimes this training simply means reinforcing things that people already know. While no workplace has ever previously had to cope with the challenges presented by Covid-19, most businesses have been very quick to adapt.

“Everybody is doing everything they can,” Caroline said. “Once employers and employees continue to follow the guidelines, we will get the right result.”