What do you think are the challenges faced by the Human

Resources Department during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The sudden shift in work culture took a toll on overall employee health and
wellbeing. Stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues have always been
there, and it is no new story.
Organizations have always been initiating wellness programs and providing
employees with security, health benefits, and flexibility to help them overcome
their health issues. But the sudden COVID-19 outbreak has brought the
employees’ mental problems to the front seat.

Managing Remote Work

The transition to remote work culture is not as seamless as it seems. Before the
COVID-19 outbreak, less than 50% of companies had a remote work program. In
addition, banks, regulated industries, and many financial services companies did
not encourage remote working. Now almost all of them are rushing to build
remote work strategies.
This has led to many undiscovered problems. HR managers are trying to build
seamless routes and strategies to overcome the challenges that it brings.
Strategies are no more designed periodically or in advance but in real-time.

Employee Communication

Communication is another major challenge that is on the priority list.

Communication is a critical aspect that needs to be considered whether the
workforce is working remotely. Without the proper communication channels, it
becomes difficult to manage a workforce.
How this outbreak affects the behavior and culture of people in an
organization?

The Covid-19 epidemic has wreaked havoc on workplace culture in a

hurry. The worldwide curfew and travel prohibitions have thrown
preconceptions about the nature of work and business connections into
disarray. People have learned that they don't need to work in an office
and can complete most tasks from home. They don't have to drive to
work. Others have gone from being on the road to being at home, with
no impact on their business. Organizational leaders must determine
which culture changes they want to keep and which they must combat
as they adjust to working during a pandemic and plan for recovery.

The speed with which these changes occur is an issue. The collective
norms of conduct demonstrated by individuals within an organization
form organizational culture. In general, workplace culture does not
change rapidly or dramatically. Rather, it changes gradually over a long
period of time in response to a cascade of tiny victories and the rare
revelation.