As We Battle The Covid Crisis, What Might Fall Between The Cracks And Come To Bite Us Later

Covid-19 has taken the entire globe by storm and global agencies like UN, WHO, IMF are all marshalling resources to combat it. Governments at the country level and state levels are trying to prevent the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. Organizations are battling with business continuity during the lock down with work from home and other initiatives.

These are all sound and valid measures. However, there might be somethings which are falling through the cracks. Here are my two bits-

1. Unemployment- while many organizations have assured their employees that there will be no layoffsor the salary cuts, this largely applies to white collar staff and permanent employees. There is a huge population of staff on contracts and temporary assignments. Many of these have been not renewed or have been communicated of non-renewal. Many organizations have pulled back offers, not only for fresh graduates, but with senior candidates that they have been in conversations with prior to the lockdown.

2. While there are organizations who are assuring no layoff, there are also some organizations who have overnight terminated entire business units,leaving large chunks of salaried employees without income. Some organizations have been opportunistic at this stage and reduced ratings and increments, all leading to discontent, current and future insecurity and lack of commitment towards to organization. Kneejerk reactions to save cost at this time will come back to bite us later. It would be prudent to show solidarity and empathy with employees at this stage so that as things start to normalize you have a fully committed workforce that will move heaven and earth to meet business goals for an employer who took care of them in times of crisis. Consider deferring bonuses and incentives, staggered leave without pay for some employees and other innovative methods to deal with the current cash crunch, at the same time ensuring long term security for employees. This of course will need transparent communication.

3. Add to this the large unorganized sector. Labour associated with construction, Transportation, distributor field staff, the lowest common denominator that do not feature on organization payroll suddenly find themselves jobless during the lockdown. This number is hard to isolate because of their spread. So the unemployment figures that we might be seeing are of the middle and upper class of society, but for those who are at lower levels would be in danger of falling below poverty line.

4. Post covid lockdown, most organisations will restructure for efficiencies and there will be renegotiation with vendors and suppliers, in turn, putting financial burden on the value chain. This will impact employment at these vendors and suppliers, again impacting a workforce at the field level.

5. There is a direct link between poverty, unemployment and crime. In the current lockdown situation, we are seeing a dip in crime levels. Street gangs are not operating. Petty crime is down. Road accidents are down. All good indicators.According to the latest Delhi Police data, the crime rate in the city has fallen drastically. The data between March 15 and March 31 show that most crimes have reduced by half and a few others saw a drop of 80%.There is a 44% decrease in crimes compared to last year. There were only 1,890 crimes reported this year compared to last year's 3,416.Cases of molestation of women have halved from 144 last year to 72 this year. Cases of fights have gone down by 65% as most people are confined to their homes. However, the moment lockdown is lifted, unemployment linked desperation might lead to a sudden spike in crimes. As per research, A one percent increase in the unemployment rate will increase the violent crime rate by 14.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. ... A one percent increase in the poverty rate will increase the violent crime rate by 23.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, and is statistically significant at the 1% level. The entire law enforcement machinery should be geared up for prevention.

6. Moreover, the above point covers only the reported cases. There might be a very large number of cases that take place within the boundaries of our homes.The 2012 National Crime Records Bureau report of India stated a reported crime rateof 46 per 100,000, rape rate of 2 per 100,000, dowry homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and the rate of domestic cruelty by husband or his relatives as 5.9 per 100,000. In the current scenario of lockdown and isolation, such women would be more vulnerable to abuse and violence.

7. Similarly, our senior citizens are vulnerable too. Not only to infection of Corona, but to abuse at home.More than 71 per cent of senior citizens in India face harassment or humiliation by their own family members, relatives or children, a study has revealed. ... "Humiliation is the most common form of elder abuse in old age”. There have been instances of not providing enough food, basic amenities, medical care etc. the current lockdown and isolation has put them at risk too.

8. The current work from home situation will put additional pressure on working women. While in some progressive households, workload might get shared by other family members, there is still a large chunk of our population who feels that household chores are a woman’s responsibility. In the absence of household help, managing domestic chores and work-related responsibilities will lead to stress and burnout. It will be helpful if organizations offer inclusion sessions for employees and their families, offer protection where needed.

While we all battle the corona threat, and follow the guidelines of lockdown and self-isolation to flatten the curve, which is the right thing to do, It is also the need of the hour to rise as an  individual, as a leader, and do what’s right for people around us. If you are an employer, hang in there and do not take harsh steps of layoffs. You are not alone in this and every business is struggling. Your people are your greatest asset. Take care of them. As individuals, let’s rise up as empathetic citizens. Help those in need, with food, money, medicines. If you are aware of any kind of abuse in your neighborhood, bring it to the notice of authorities. This is the time where we can all do our two bits to help heal as a society, and emerge stronger, and united as a result of battling this crisis together.