key: cord-0795041-z8hlaj40
authors: Cordero, Dalmacito A
title: Capital and labor in harmony: recovering from economic loss during the COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-05-21
journal: J Public Health (Oxf)
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab175
sha: 314d658387c00a720c57de0a64a365d9c6658582
doc_id: 795041
cord_uid: z8hlaj40

nan

In a recent correspondence published in this journal, the authors highlighted the business sectors' initiatives in ensuring the implementation of health and safety protocols and vaccination program among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. They suggested several ways to actualize this such as: delivering safe and healthy working conditions; collecting updated information to plan and implementing practical actions; reducing direct human-to-human contact in the work procedure and keeping workers informed through proper information dissemination. 1 These are all very good suggestions that need to be done on the part of the capital or business administrator/owner sector. With this, in the spirit of fairness and equality, a relevant question arises: What about the necessary initiative that should be taken or embodied by the labor group on the other hand? It is important to take note that the recovery from economic loss caused by the pandemic will only be possible through a harmonious partnership between the capital and labor and not only one party doing an active role.

In Christian ethics, human work is the activity of the human person as a dynamic being capable of performing a variety of actions that are part of the work process and that correspond to his personal vocation. Man must work, both because the Creator has commanded it and in order to respond to the need to maintain and develop his own humanity. It is also a moral obligation with respect to one's neighbor, which in the first place is one's own family but also the society to which one belongs. 2 Human work is comprised of the labor and capital. Labor is the amount of physical, mental and social e ort used to produce goods and services in an economy. It supplies the expertise, manpower and service needed to turn raw materials into finished products and services. 3 In short, these are the workers or employees. Capital, on the other hand, is the whole collection of means of production and this can refer to the financial resources (money and other assets) a business owner uses to fund their operations and to make a profit. 4 Thus, this can be referred to the sector of business owners. The Church teaches that there should be harmony between these entities. As the capital does its initiative to ensure the good health and safety of their employees, same e ort must also be done by the latter.

Having understood the concept of human work and the role of its protagonists, I propose concrete ways wherein the labor sector can do its part aside from fulfilling their usual job descriptions. First, the best response to the initiative of their respective companies is an exercise of utmost honesty. Much of the resources will be depleted if the employees will hide their real health condition and then later on find out that they are already infected with the virus and so have spread it to their co-workers. Coupled with this of course is being responsible in joining such social gatherings. If it is possible not to attend, better skip it and just stay home. If it cannot be avoided, then the maximum health protocol should be practiced. Second, employees can walk an extra mile by helping their company lessen its expenditures most especially during this crisis where financial constraints and even bankruptcy are declared by some. This can be done by reducing power consumption like turning o unnecessary lights, unplugging unused electronic devices, managing the thermostat of the air conditioning system and many others. Third, since some companies are already in the work-from-home scheme which actually also helps to reduce business expenses, employees can use this opportunity to increase productivity since they have saved the usual travel time in going to their workplace. In addition, this scheme can also minimize the distractions that the employees encounter, such as lesser phone calls from inquirers, visitors/customers knocking on the door, co-workers who kill time by gossiping and so on. Businesses can withstand the negative e ects of the pandemic requires not only from its own initiative but more so from the needed e ort and support from the employees. It is always a two-way process which is a shared responsibility by both groups.

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