Article
The increased importance of HR in higher education post-COVID-19
July 10, 2020 · Authored by Kim Wylam, Deanna Kempinski
The beginning of the 2020-21 school year will be unlike any other year for institutions of higher education. COVID-19 has forced universities and colleges to re-examine everything they do – from staffing policies and enrollment procedures to payroll logistics and their entire technology infrastructure.
Across all the key areas that higher education institutions need to re-evaluate, one common thread is the involvement of human resources (HR). Your HR department likely is being pulled in several different directions at the moment. Many of their responsibilities are tasks that the HR team has never handled before. With the specific HR needs of universities and colleges in mind, Baker Tilly recommends the following leading practices.
Leading practices for bringing the higher education workforce back to campus safely
- Communication is key – As in most critical situations that institutions have encountered over the years, clear communication is one of the most important aspects that you face from an HR perspective. External communications, including e-mails and newsletters, can be time-consuming for your HR staff, but they are as important as ever. Your faculty, staff and students are looking to their HR leaders for guidance during this uncertain time regarding policy updates, procedure changes and new protocols, as well as a means to boost morale. The importance of clarity and consistency in your communications cannot be underestimated during this time.
- Take nothing for granted – As you communicate with faculty, staff and students, assume nothing. You may have been glued to news coverage over the last four months, but many others have not been. You may know where to acquire masks, how to wear them correctly and when they are needed, but not everyone on campus will be aware. Keep in mind that virtually every State, and most major U.S. cities, have a different set of safety requirements surrounding COVID-19. These requirements are also changing – daily! In short, assume nothing. It is imperative that HR owns the responsibility of informing faculty, staff and students when and where they need to wear masks, when and where they need to social distance, how to report COVID-19 symptoms, how they can get tested and how they need to quarantine, if necessary.
- Beware of legal issues – The importance of being clear and consistent in your communications is closely tied to potential legal issues as well, perhaps now more than ever. Your HR team must pay attention to changing regulations and comply accordingly, and you need to be ready for any situation. Do not give people a reason to claim that your institution failed to keep them safe. Do not allow leeway for members of your staff or student body to claim negligence as it pertains to health and safety. Additionally, there are potential legal concerns surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and other pieces of legislation that you must be aware of moving forward.
