key: cord-1009491-0myksxc7
authors: Yutuc, Alma V; Olazo, Danzen B; Sarmiento, Philip Joseph D
title: Business sectors’ initiatives on health and safety protocols and vaccination program among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-05-04
journal: J Public Health (Oxf)
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab139
sha: aac1e7ab277d2ce924ec2c2baf5bba5aad60ba4e
doc_id: 1009491
cord_uid: 0myksxc7

In a recent correspondence, the author discussed the issues of ‘no-jab, no job’ policy, which is planned to be implemented by governments and companies in many countries. This paper highlights the business sectors’ initiatives in ensuring the implementation of health and safety protocols and vaccination program among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the COVID-19 outbreak started spreading across the world, thousands of people started facing severe health issues and death rates increased. In such a scenario all business activities, across all industries were completely stopped. The lockdown impacted various sectors to a varying degree. Millions of people in these sectors are likely to lose jobs. Nonetheless, businesses are trying to cope up with the economic turbulence caused due to COVID 19 through modified work. As today's extreme circumstances test the ability of businesses to operate and manage rapid change in a time of uncertainty, what should global mobility leaders and their organizations be doing to maintain employee welfare and business continuity? In a recent correspondence, the author discussed the ethical and legal impediments of 'no-jab, no job' policy, which is planned to be implemented by governments and companies in many countries. 1 Consequently, the author emphasized that the human person is the subject and never the object of every companies and governments. Thus, we agree with this perspective and we also want to emphasize that the employees' health and well-being should be at the top of agenda of business sectors in ensuring the implementation of health safety protocols and support to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

The business has an important role to play in addressing the health and safeguarding the welfare of employees. 2 While many employers may be concerned about their bottom line and the loss of productivity, the reality is that loss will be even greater if employees come in sick, potentially with the coronavirus. Business leaders have to think about not only how to cope with the current changes but also what to do to prepare for future scenarios. 3 Management also needs to check in often and consistently to learn how people are dealing with transitioning to remote work. It is also critical to give employees a place to feel seen and heard. Scholars of strategic marketing attest that internal marketing will empower employees to perform in a more market-oriented manner and motivate them to accomplish their job tasks. 4 Employees are the backbone of every company and the major responsibility of an organization is to keep the employees safe and secured especially in this trying time of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for businesses to take their duties seriously in protecting employees and the rolling-out of COVID-19 vaccines to secure their health even amid vaccination hesitancy. 5 In a recent study, businesses of all sizes must act responsibly to do no harm, care for employees and allow the government to do its job in protecting people and every company should make concentrated efforts to meet employee needs and desires cost-effectively, so that company performance will be improved. 6 By delivering safe and healthy working conditions, including proper protective equipment and training, personal hygiene habits such as washing hands or coughing etiquettes to mitigate exposure to COVID-19, especially for workers.

Collecting updated information is the first step to planning and implementing practical actions to protect your worker. Reducing direct human-to-human contact in the work procedure is possible in many ways. Keep workers informed about the coronavirus and the vaccination program through proper information dissemination. Governments and business sectors must protect the health of employees at this time, but this crisis also offers the opportunity for a turning point in our economy.

No-jab, no-job clause: ethical issues and legal impediments

Human resource development (HRD) resilience: a new 'success element' of organizational resilience?

All authors contributed to all aspects of the manuscript.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.