Surge in HR responsibility
Last week, I settled in to kick off a new year, with new clients and renewed excitement for the year. I had the beginnings of a cold, but I powered through. I opened emails from one client, sharing with the team updated protocols and guidance around getting tested for COVID and disclosing that three of their employees had tested positive in the last week and were home, isolating. I made a note to revisit our vaccination policy and check on people’s status with boosters. I also thought to myself, this is just a cold I have, right?
A new client responded to an email introducing me to the team with questions in regards to an exposure they had at one of their locations, and the decision to close operations there for safety’s sake, as too many of the staff needed to run the location are now covid-positive, or likely to become so. My cold was accompanied by a wicked sore throat and a cough now. I scheduled a test for myself, no easy feat, and waited four days for a result.
I fielded questions about how long to isolate, when to get tested and what kinds of tests are acceptable. I helped weigh whether we should officially mandate vaccination and boosters company-wide. I researched recent updates to guidance, required protocols for staff, available sick time in the event that they are not allowed to work, and made my recommendations based on my understanding of that research.
I did all of this, from my home, while also being positive for COVID. My whole family had it. We also exposed my nanny to it and subsequently, her children got it. And so, over the last week we worked, with COVID, addressing all of these concerns while also entertaining a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. And all the while I spoke to multiple colleagues who are in the same boat.
My husband shot me this article from the New York Times this week, comparing HR to the school nurse and it resonated. I love Human Resources because I love working with people, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness and details that go into making a group of individuals successful as a whole. I love working through questions like, “how do we find the right people for our organization? How can we get people up to speed and on the same page without disrupting their work? How do we empower our team to make decisions that benefit the business?”
Just a couple of years ago, I would not have ventured a guess that my job would include deciding if people are justified in a decision to remain unvaccinated, or determining if a person is healthy enough to return to work, or navigating a decision to close operations of a business, knowing full well that people would go unpaid if they were not allowed to come to work, even in the interest of other peoples’ health and safety.
Two years into this pandemic and I am overwhelmed by the gravity that my role has felt. Overwhelmed by carrying that role alongside the role of motherhood. I am also overwhelmed with awe for the small business owners who ‘wear the hat’ of HR and have carried this through the entire pandemic when even just one employee was ill, let alone a surge. Remember, just because someone carries it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy. I’m feeling better this week. My kids will get to rejoin school and their nanny. Let me know if you need some help with your load.