Global Recognition of HR Support in Coronavirus Crisis

International HR Day highlights work done to support workers and businesses...

The programme recognises the important role that the HR profession is playing in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and putting people’s welfare centre stage in decision-making. It also underlines the importance of people management in a wider context, and is being adopted on a global scale for the first time.

HR Professionals around the world have made a tremendous contribution to supporting people and organisations adapt to a new normal, and have championed physical and mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 crisis. These valuable members of workplace teams have provided vital support to the processes of virtual collaboration and engagement, as well as enabling flexible working practices.

 According to Lucas van Wees, EAPM President and HR Director with the University of Amsterdam, “This is an important time for HR professionals to make sure companies are responding to employee concerns in the middle of the current Covid-19 crisis. As countries across the world look to reopen their economies and workplaces, HR will be leading the creation of safe workplaces and working practices, and supporting individuals prepare for new future of work. This crisis has changed our ways of working for the future in fundamental ways, and we encourage organisations to collaborate with employees  to create more flexible and sustainable operating models”.

Supporting organisations to be compassionate in responding to individual health and well-being concerns will be high on the agenda for the thousands of professionals and companies, as they participate in International HR day across the European region and further afield.

In the absence of gatherings and events to mark the occasion this year, participants will be using #InternationalHRDay and #HRTogether across social media platforms to share their experiences.

The European Association for People Management (EAPM) is a network association and the European body for human resource management. It forms the umbrella body of 35 national HR organizations representing 250.000 HR professionals across Europe. The EAPM facilitates experience exchange without any profit-related objectives. It is purely professional and specialist in nature and is one of the five continental bodies of the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) (see https://www.eapm.org/ihrd/ for more info).