Canadian HR Reporter

20 www.hrreporter.com F E A T U R E S THE business world has been dealt a terrible blow by COVID-19. Given how poorly understood the virus' long- and short-term effects are on both the people (body and mind) and the economy, leading in a pandemic is akin to managing a medical research project. Leaders must determine how to provide essential services, sustain their organi- zations and protect the safety of employees, customers and potential guests in uncertain circumstances. This situation has raised significant issues for HR leaders who are among the most likely people to be charged with finding a way to balance these issues and restore some semblance of normalcy to the workplace. In most cases, they are looking to address these issues in an ethical fashion, with sympathy for both individuals and the organization that employs them. However, positive intentions are not the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research — may not translate directly to a business framework, the three core principles are invaluable for employers to consider as they grapple with the pandemic: The principle of respect for persons This requires that employees understand and freely choose to participate in work that may put them at risk. When employees are unable to make such autonomous choices, the employer should provide additional protections. Informed consent: Do all parties have full and equal access to current knowledge about the risks involved? Ethical organizations should seek out and share the best risk and safety information available by providing relevant and empirically rigorous resources about potential health risks to employees or directing them to such resources. Engaging in a thoughtful effort to maximize employee safety and reduce coercive employment practices should both minimize risks to employees and the business, and identifying frameworks for discussing the ethics of risk and safety plans is a valuable investment. Leveraging ethical frameworks There is a variety of principles for evaluating the ethics of risking people's health and well-being in pursuit of worthy causes. These principles have been developed through a combination of best practice, theory and learning from very real ethical mistakes and failures, and they provide a public reference point for beginning a conversation and exploring other ethical principles. While the exact rules — as described in documents such as the Belmont Report by the National Commission for THE ETHICS OF SAFETY DURING A PANDEMIC In this time of crisis, HR leaders are looking to restore some semblance of normalcy in an ethical fashion. Three core principles are invaluable for employers to consider as they grapple with the pandemic, says Kenneth Matos of Culture Amp always enough when resources are lim- ited and people disagree on various responsibilities. Leaders can find them- selves struggling to lead meaningful conversations with co-workers who fre- quently have different assessments of risk to lives and revenues. Without a solid philosophical and rhetorical framework for these discussions, odds are they will devolve into a power struggle where each side dismisses the perspectives and experiences of the others. Even if the desire to be ethical is not sufficient motivation, failure to be thoughtful now may result in lawsuits and government regulations that often prove more onerous and expensive than preventive measures. In addition, the public relations problems that emerge years later when records are leaked or investigations reveal willful disregard for employee safety can damage an organization's bottom line. H E A LT H & S A F E T Y HR News at Your Fingertips Sign up for the Canadian HR Newswire today for free and enjoy great content from the publishers of Canadian HR Reporter. www.hrreporter.com/subscribe/newsletter THE LATEST NEWS Stay on top of essential late-breaking HR news and developments. THE BEST COMMENTARY Access trusted analysis and opinion on the cases and changes that are shaping the HR landscape. REGULAR E-NEWSLETTER Your profession can change quickly, which is why you need the freshest, most recent information. FOR READING ON ANY DEVICE Get the news and opinions you need on any device. Whether you read at work, or on the go, the newsletter adapts to your screen. CHRR newswire sign up.indd 1 CHRR newswire sign up.indd 1 25/08/2020 12:43:20 pm 25/08/2020 12:43:20 pm

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