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F E A T U R E S
The principle of beneficence
This principle would require employers
not to inflict unnecessary harm and,
where possible, to promote the well-
being of employees.
Minimize risk: What safety proce-
dures or equipment is the employer
using to minimize the risk of contracting
or spreading COVID-19 at work? Is it
ensuring that all employees have equal
access to protective measures within
the workplace (such as providing masks
to those who can't afford them)? Is the
organization following guidelines from
recognized experts in epidemiology and
public health?
Review and adapt work processes:
Is the organization falsifying, omitting
or choosing not to learn about or share
important information that would cause
employees to resist its efforts?
Organizations and employees should
actively discuss whether risky tasks are
necessary or alterable. If they are not
necessary, they can be abandoned or
delayed until a safer time. If deemed
necessary, the dialogue should explore
ways to make them safer. Ongoing
remote work, contactless delivery and
curbside pickups are all examples of
this principle in operation.
The principle of justice
This would oblige employers to distri-
bute the benefits and risks of work fairly.
A goal worth the risks: Are the tasks
assigned to employees necessary to the
organization's mission or survival? Is
there a clear business case, supported by
data, that's informing the expectations of
employee performance? If not, is there a
plan to collect such data during normal
operations and re-evaluate whether the
current process is necessary or effective?
Are we adhering to old ways of working
because they are demonstrably effective
or because they are familiar or popular?
Just distribution of risk and
reward: Who decides how work gets
done and what constitutes a safe work
environment? Are those making the
decisions subject to the most serious
risks created by those decisions? If not,
how are they incorporating the feedback
of the most vulnerable employees? Are
employees receiving a fair share of the
additional rewards created by their
higher-risk labour? These questions
are especially important during a time
when the world is dealing with systemic
racism, sexism, classism and other
injustices.
Not all costs are equal: What are
the costs incurred by the work beyond
money? Does the work situation
Kenneth Matos is the director
of people science at Culture
Amp in New York. For more
information, visit www.
cultureamp.com.
cause employees additional stress,
damage their health or negatively
impact their relationships? How will
you support workers with COVID-19?
While organizations can recompense
employees for their risky work through
hazard pay, non-financial costs may have
long-lasting effects that no amount of
money can undo.
For some leaders, this may seem like a
lot to address all at once, especially when
resources have been heavily tapped
during this pandemic. As with most
ethical situations, it is important to not
let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Focus on what you can do now and build
toward what you can do tomorrow. You
may not be able to do everything, but the
world will still be a better place if you do
something.
CHRR
