IT'S
been over 18 months since the
COVID-19 virus first took hold and
spread alarmingly around the globe. From the
start, there was confusion and panic, and not a
lot of information about the deadly disease.
As a result, employers scrambled to find hand
sanitizers and signage in an effort to improve
workplace safety, and then started imple-
menting barriers such as plexiglass dividers and
mask-wearing policies.
Now, 18 months later, the data has evolved.
Which begs the question: Are employers still
doing what's needed to protect employees and
customers? Or are they working on dated infor-
mation and wasting resources?
There are two things to remember: This
is a virus that two years ago was unknown to
science, so we all had to do a lot of learning,
says Raymond Tellier, associate professor in the
Department of Medicine at McGill University
Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal.
"The second thing is that the virus has
changed. And the Delta virus that we're dealing
with now is remarkably different from the
initial virus that we had to deal with. In a way,
we were lucky not to have to face something as
contagious as the Delta from the beginning;
we had a little bit of a chance. But if you want a
WWW.HRREPORTER.COM ISSUE 34.09.2021
THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Employee experience in spotlight
Many organizations are paying greater
attention to how each worker feels
about the day-to-day culture
/10
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
IS PRODUCTIVITY UP OR DOWN?
A recent report reveals the key
factors influencing the output of
employees /07
UBER LOSES AGAIN
Ontario Court's decision furthers
debate about status of drivers who
claim they have been misclassified as
independent contractors /08
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE
Multiple incidents of misconduct
may amount to a repudiation of the
employment contract so progressive
discipline is not required /16
> pg. 2
The data and research around COVID-19 has
advanced considerably since the pandemic started
back in the spring of 2020. But many employers may
be using old methods in the workplace that are less
effective, finds Sarah Dobson
Why wellbeing programs fail
People with mental health issues
already know all about it, and those who
don't aren't interested, says one expert
/52
Evolving COVID safety
challenges employers
BEST PLACES TO WORK 2021
We present Canada's top employers,
based on extensive employee feedback
and several key HR metrics
/17
