# data[].attributes.headline
                Question 9 Economic changes, such as Covid-19, have been, and are likely to remain for the foreseeable future, catalysts for unprecedented organisational change. How can people management professionals continue to support their organisations in responding successfully to such economic changes?                               

# data[].attributes.subject
                Question 9 Economic changes, such as Covid-19, have been, and are likely to remain for the foreseeable future, catalysts for unprecedented organisational change. How can people management professionals continue to support their organisations in responding successfully to such economic changes?                               

# data[].attributes.body
HR and Organisational change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHAT ROLE DOES HR PLAY IN SUCCESSFUL ORG CHANGE?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Train strikes: What days in October will rail travel be disrupted?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Train drivers walk out again on Wednesday, but action by London Underground staff has been suspended.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mental health related absence is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces. Stress-related absence in particular has increased, with 37% of respondents to the CIPD and Simply Health Health and wellbeing survey saying that stress-related absence had increased in the last year. Work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounts for 44% of work-related ill health and 54% of working days lost, in 2018/19 ( HSE, 2019). As well as sickness absence, poor mental health at work can lead to increased staff turnover, reduced engagement and high presenteeism.

These facts relate to a world pre-COVID-19; indications suggest that the pandemic (and measures taken by government to control it such as lockdowns and social distancing) will have a significant impact upon the mental health of employees. It is very possible that these mental health implications will be felt for many months or even years.

This guide outlines considerations and provides advice for employers, people professionals and people managers on how employee mental health can be supported as the course of the pandemic and our recovery continues. This will be particularly relevant in planning a return to the workplace for as employees who have been working from home, and as we potentially face the consequences of the economic downturn.

What is mental health?

Everyone has mental health and, like physical health, it fluctuates along a spectrum. It can vary from good mental wellbeing to severe mental health problems. Work can have a huge impact on mental health - it can promote wellbeing or trigger problems.

Poor mental health can include struggling with low mood, stress or anxiety. A mental health problem is generally defined as when poor mental health continues for a prolonged period. There may or may not be a diagnosis of a specific condition. Common mental health conditions include depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders and bipolar (Mind have a useful list of mental health conditions).

Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. Work-related stress is a form of poor mental health, defined by the Health and Safety Executive as a reaction to excessive pressure or other type of demand placed on an individual at work. Stress can be a significant cause of illness.

How will COVID-19 affect our mental health?

We do not yet know exactly what the full mental health impact of COVID-19 will be, although some evidence is now emerging. Research from the US has found that 1 in 3 people who have experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms have since developed a neurological or mental health condition. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021; this is more than double that observed before the pandemic (10%).

There are many factors to consider including the impact of the lockdown and ongoing restrictions such as social distancing and self-isolation. Some employees will fearful about contracting the virus, others will be anxious about family and friends. Many will have suffered bereavements during this time, often without the chance to say goodbye or attend funerals. There will also be fears about job security, returning to the workplace (including using public transport for commuting) and financial concerns. Some employees are working longer or more irregular hours and many are combining work with other family responsibilities, leading to a poor work-life balance. There are also potential mental health implications for those who have been on furlough leave.

Early research into the health impacts of lockdown including findings of fatigue, musculoskeletal conditions, poor work-life balance, reduced exercise and increased alcohol consumption. In relation to mental health specifically, employees were reporting reduced motivation, loss of purpose and motivation, anxiety and isolation. Evidence from previous quarantine situations, prior to the current pandemic, suggests that there are long lasting effects on mental health. These symptoms ranged from irritability and anger to depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

The mental health charity Mind has found that more than half of adults (60%) and over two-thirds of young people (68%) said their mental health got worse during lockdown. Young people and those with pre-existing mental health conditions were particularly effected - and employees who had been furloughed also reported a slight decline in their wellbeing compared to others.

Although not a mental health condition specifically, 1.1m people in the UK are now estimated to have Long-COVID (symptoms that last for longer than 12 weeks). This is an unknown condition and little is understood about its duration or potential treatments. This may also contribute to poor mental health.

What should employers do?

It is well known that many employees do not feel comfortable in speaking up about poor mental health; this is unlikely to change following the pandemic.

Employers will need to adapt a range of measures to support employees experiencing poor mental health as a result of COVID-19 and its effects on society and the economy. This support will be required in the short term (such as during the return to the workplace for officer workers) as well as over the longer term. Measures will need to range from supporting employees to regain an effective work-life balance and addressing fears about return to work, right through to support for severe mental health conditions. Employers, particularly those who have employees working in front line response roles, should act now to put necessary support in place. It is important that businesses engage with their people to understand how they feel about the return to the workplace. There should be consultation with staff at a company level but it's also important that line managers understand the specific concerns of their individual team members so they can best support their mental wellbeing and future ways
of working.

What remains important is that people experiencing poor mental health are not labelled by focusing on a diagnosis, and instead discussions and support focus on the impact it has on them at work.

The law and mental health

Employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes mental health and wellbeing. You can find out more about health and safety at work in our health and safety factsheet.

Employees who have a mental health condition may be disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010, and will therefore be protected from discrimination during employment.

Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities. This may well in the future include Long-COVID, although this is yet to be determined. What is 'reasonable' will depend on the circumstances, the nature of the disability and the resources of the employer. It could however include amendments to hours or location of work, provision of specialist equipment or the duties of the job itself. More information is available on our disability discrimination topic page.

Under health and safety legislation, employers have duties to assess the risk of stress-related poor mental health arising from work activities and take measures to control that risk. More information on stress at work is available in our factsheet. You may also wish to refer to the Health and Safety Executive Stress Risk Assessment tool.

Employers must follow the law - but this only sets a minimum standard. Employers who go above and beyond will see improvements in organisational culture, employee engagement, reduced absence and presenteeism and a reduction in staff turnover. In the current situation, the minimum standards set by law are unlikely to be sufficient to support employees through the many different potential mental health and wellbeing impacts of COVID-19. Not everyone will wish to disclose a mental health condition and not all conditions will fall under the definition of the Equality Act: it is however good practice to make adjustments and provide support for employees regardless of definition.

Prevention - what employers can do now

Employers have several areas of focus to consider. Firstly, supporting the mental health of employees who are continuing to work in essential and key worker roles, many of whom have spent months working under significantly increased pressure that may make them more vulnerable to stress or other mental health conditions. Secondly, the need to support those who continue to work from home as well as those who are returning to the workplace as restrictions end. Finally, there is the impact of potential redundancies on employees who may be at risk of redundancy, those who 'survive' a redundancy situation and those employees (such as HR) who need to manage the process.

The resilience of all employees has been challenged by the current situation - although the mental health and wellbeing implications of this will vary from employee to employee.

Employers and HR may wish to consider some of the following:

Brief managers on the potential mental health implications of COVID-19 and their specific roles and responsibilities in relation to supporting staff.

Communicate regularly on wellbeing and mental health support, wherever possible supported by activities that encourage physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing.

Provide mental health awareness-raising activities - work towards a culture where is acceptable to talk about and seek support for poor mental health.

When employees who have been working from home begin to return to the workplace, consider if a re-induction into the workplace will help them feel connected and engaged, as well as reassuring them about measures you are choosing to put in place. This could also help cover any health and safety changes in line with the government's COVID-secure workplace guidelines and good practice.

Support for employees throughout redundancy situations, including those involved in undertaking them, along with manager guidance and training, should be provided. The CIPD has a range of guidance on supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace, available on the wellbeing topic page.

You can also download the workshop materials provided here to run a briefing session for people managers on mental health and wellbeing.

Early intervention

Where the signs and symptoms of poor mental health and wellbeing are well understood at all levels within an organisation, it can support early intervention and the opportunity to take early action to prevent the situation escalating. Sharing information about mental health can also enable employees to identify signs, especially early ones, in themselves and seek support.

Some of the typical signs and symptoms of poor or declining mental health may be more difficult to identify in employees working from home or more flexibly.

Typical signs include:

Working long hours / not taking breaks

Increased sickness absence or lateness

Mood changes

Distraction, indecision or confusion

Withdrawal

Irritability, anger or aggression

Uncharacteristic performance issues

Over-reaction to problems or issues

Disruptive or anti-social behaviour.

Note: if one of more of these signs are observed it does not automatically mean that an individual is experiencing poor mental health but it should be a prompt for a manager to have a wellbeing conversation. Take care not to make assumptions.

Where signs are identified, managers should have a conversation with the employee. This can be as simple as a phone call or online meeting to check in with the individual. A good starting point is for the manager to simply ask someone how they are. Where appropriate share any observations in a non-judgemental manner and check if support is required. HR should look to provide simple guidance to managers on structuring these conversations. The sooner such a conversation takes place, the more quickly support can be provided to the individual.

Where more specialist advice is required, consider a referral to Occupational Health.

In an advance of any planned or phased return to work, rather than wait for signs or for employees to express concerns, managers can be proactive. Encourage them to contact their team members to discuss any concerns that they may have or any specific issues pertaining to them (such as health conditions of vulnerable family members).

Effective communication plans detailing how the organisation will be approaching the return to work and prioritising the health and safety of employees will also help to allay concerns and fears, supporting mental wellbeing.
Redundancy
Many employers face difficult decisions about their workforce as a result of the pandemic. For some, this will include making employees redundant. Those employees that are sadly made redundant may experience reduced wellbeing or poor mental health as a result.

Unemployment can have a significant impact on mental health; research suggests that the average number of people with psychological problems among the unemployed was 34%, compared to 16% among employed individuals. Redundancies can also have a negative impact on employees that remain with the organisation (sometimes called 'survivor syndrome'). They may experience a range of emotions; guilt, anxiety about further job losses and stress relating to the process of redundancy had they themselves been at risk. Redundancy processes can also cause stress and anxiety for those that have to undertake them.

Where redundancy process cannot be avoided, organisations may wish to consider the following to support the wellbeing and mental health of employees:

Remind employees about any support services that are available to them. This is especially important whilst processes are ongoing.

Ensure that redundancy processes are conducted fairly and empathetically with effective communication and consultation. Train managers where necessary.

For employees exiting the organisation, wherever possible provide access to outplacement support and financial wellbeing services.

Provide as much information as possible to employees in order to reduce uncertainty about the future. Ensure regular updates take place and employees have the opportunity to ask questions.

Ensure that workload reviews take place and objectives are updated to reflect the new circumstances. This is especially important to avoid an increase in workload for remaining employees.

For more information, refer to the guide on redundancy procedures during coronavirus.

Managing mental health disclosures

Disclosures about mental health conditions may be made to managers or directly to HR. Where they are made to HR, wherever possible HR should encourage the employee to share the information with their manager. Consideration should be given to:

Referral to Occupational Health or the employee's own GP where specialist advice is required.

Signposting to organisational support services for mental health and general wellbeing.

Wherever possible, HR should provide training to managers on how to a respond to a disclosure, as well as how to approach the provision of ongoing support.

Managers who receive a disclosure can follow this simple framework from Mind and consider the following:

Arrange a time to have a conversation with the employee. Where they are working from home this may need to take place via online meeting - this is preferable to a phone call where possible. Let the employee chose the time and medium to ensure that they will not be interrupted.

Embed confidentiality in those conversations - reassure employees that their personal information will be treated sensitively. It is fine to ask what information, if any, they wish to be shared with colleagues.

Encourage people to talk - and to take up mental health and wellbeing support.

Discuss a plan for support - ideally this should include reasonable adjustments or practical support and a time period for review. Discuss what signs and symptoms or triggers to be aware of and the possible impacts on work. Plans will need to be flexible as mental health conditions may fluctuate.

Reassure - be clear with employees that no assumptions will be made about their mental health and that the organisation will provide the necessary support.

Both managers and HR should seek additional advice where required, especially where mental health conditions are particularly complex.

In an emergency, if you are seriously concerned about an employee's mental health and believe they maybe in immediate danger, call 999.

Supporting the return to the workplace

The complex nature of wellbeing and mental health means that there is no single solution for supporting the returning to the workplace. It is likely that any return to workplaces will be gradual and phased. As well as some former homeworkers returning to the workplace, the end of the furlough scheme will mean that some employees will be returning to work for the first time in several months; this may include returning to a physical workplace or working from home.

Where employees do return to the workplace they may be working a range of different patterns and hours to allow for ongoing social distancing requirements. Some activities may remain curtailed. Of course, some employees never left work, continuing to work in essential and key roles under a range of challenging circumstances. The continuing threat of the virus will also mean that many employees will also be working whilst retaining care or childcare responsibilities and have other pressing personal issues that may have an impact on their mental health. Even if employees are not experiencing poor mental health they may have concerns and fears about return to a physical workplace, including using public transport or staying safe in the work environment.

Here are some potential interventions for organisations to consider to support employees returning to physical workplaces, even if only on a phased or reduced basis:

Write a detailed communication plan covering practical issues such as hygiene and approach to maintaining social distancing in order to allay concerns. Refer to the government guidance on COVID-secure workplaces for the types of measures you should put in place.

Provide manager training on mental health conditions including signs and symptoms. Make sure that managers are aware of the particular wellbeing and mental health implications of coronavirus (including on vulnerable groups and previously furloughed employees).

Consider introducing an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) where one does not exist.

Review existing mental health services to determine if they are scalable and can cope with increased demand.

Provide mental health awareness activities for the wider organisation. These can take various forms including promotion of national events, workshops or awareness campaigns.

Offer resources for employees to access in their own time. These can be produced specifically for the organisation or curated using external sources.

Consider adapting flexible working policies for quicker decisions and increased opportunities to change or reduce hours, or continued remote working where appropriate.

Wherever possible, encourage senior leaders to include messaging about well-being and mental health in wider communications about the organisational response to the pandemic. This can help to create a culture where it is acceptable to talk about mental health.

Establish an internal network of wellbeing or mental health champions who can support the organisation.

Where employees have experienced or are experiencing poor mental health, or have taken absence from work as a result of a mental health condition, there are some other specific actions that organisations and managers may take:

Keep in contact with the employee on a regular basis and updating them on any key organisational communications or changes.

Make it clear that the employee should not rush back to work until they are ready.

Refer to Occupational Health or signpost other relevant services.

Consider phased returns to work - even where the employee is working from home and not returning to a physical workplace. Conduct a formal return to work meeting, even if this is conducted via online meeting or phone call.

Discuss the support the employee needs to help them to make a successful return and support their mental health - this should include the role of the manager and how they can help.

Ensure ongoing dialogue and regular contact following the return to work.

Review performance objectives and workload - adjust where necessary.

Returning from furlough

The mental health implications on employees of being placed on furlough leave is currently unknown. We do know that periods of unemployment can impact negatively on physical and mental health. Work can provide meaning, purpose and structure. Work also provides social connection and opportunities to learn and develop, both of which support wellbeing and good mental health. Employees who have been on furlough may be anxious about the return to work, and may be concerned particularly about future job security.

Organisations may wish to consider the following to support the mental health of employees returning from furlough:

Contact the employee prior to their return where possible to discuss the return and provide practical information. Also keep in touch with returned employees on a regular basis. Returning from furlough isn't just about the first day - concerns and anxieties may last for some time.

Find ways to reconnect employees, to their team and the wider organisation. This could include opportunities to socialise (even if virtually), broader employee engagement activities and reminder of organisation mission, vision and values.

Ask managers to review employee workloads, update objectives and priorities and provide a full update on what has taken place in recent months. Consider if any refresher training is necessary.

Remind employees about support services and wellbeing activities available to them.

Longer term homeworking

A significant proportion of the workforce has now worked from home for several months, many of them successfully. However, there are a number of factors that suggest a continued focus on supporting employee mental health remains critical. First of all, there is continued uncertainty about the virus itself along with ongoing changes to restrictions, both of which can lead to increased stress and anxiety. Many working parents still do not have full access to childcare services and are continuing to balance work and childcare with the ongoing prospect of future school closures in the event of virus outbreaks. The now long term nature of homeworking means continued isolation from colleagues and valuable work related social activities, support structures and connections. Work-life balance and blurred boundaries between work and home may become more problematic as homeworking continues. Finally, fears around job security are also likely to be prevalent for many employees, especially in those sectors that have been most affected financially.

Many of the suggestions to support employee mental health set out above also apply to supporting long term homeworkers. Organisations may also wish to consider some of the following:

Offer specific work-life balance support in the form of 1-2-1 coaching, guidance or training.

Continue providing employees with ways to connect with colleagues whilst working from home. Promoting online communities, virtual social groups and using social media can all help to connect people.

Encourage employees to create effective boundaries between work and home, take regular breaks and annual leave. Having a regular routine, such as start and end times can also help.

Ensure that manager training includes spotting weak signals of poor mental health and wellbeing that are less visible as a result of homeworking.

Consider what additional support can be provided to employees who may be especially vulnerable such as working parents, employees from ethnic minority groups, young workers or those who have previously experienced poor mental health.

Organisations may also wish to undertake a listening exercise and survey their employees about their current state of mental health and wellbeing, and seeking feedback on the specific support they feel would benefit them in the months to come.

Advice for people managers

People managers play a critical role in supporting employee wellbeing and mental health: how people are treated and managed on a day to day basis is central to mental health. Management style is also the second main cause of work-related stress.

HR professionals should consider encouraging their managers to undertake the following.

Regular check in meetings

Managers should be checking in with their teams, individually, on a regular basis. Ideally this check in should be 'face to face' via virtual meeting. This will help managers to be alert to signals of poor mental health. Encourage managers to have a wellbeing conversation; provide them with a simple framework or questions that they can ask their teams. HR must ensure that managers have a clear process to follow in the event of a mental health disclosure as a result of a check-in conversation.

Looking for signs

Managers should be trained on the potential signs of poor wellbeing and mental health, as well as how to handle a disclosure of a mental health condition. Managers do not need to become mental health experts but they do need to know how to identify and refer. Where managers are concerned about the mental health of their employees, they should signpost to relevant support services. HR should ensure that managers are briefed on any services that are available, such as Occupational Health and EAPs.

Role modelling

Managers can encourage employees to take care of their wellbeing and mental health by acting as an effective role model. Managers can share how they are looking after their own wellbeing at this time, encourage their team members to undertake any organisation-provided wellbeing activity and share wellbeing and mental health messages. This will help to create permission for their team to do the same and encourage people to seek help if they need it.

Connecting people

Connecting with others supports good mental health. Managers should take regular opportunities to bring employees together virtually or even face to face where circumstances/restrictions permit. As well as work-related meetings, encourage social connections through social media or informal online meetings. To avoid overwhelming people, taking part should always be optional.

Review workloads

There are many reasons in the current situation why employees may be unable to be as productive as they would be under normal circumstances. Managers should be sensitive to this and recognise that expectations may need to be adjusted in the short term or if particular situations arise (such as the temporary closure of a school). Existing objectives, workloads and deadlines should be adjusted to take into account the evolving context.

Promote learning

Learning can boost wellbeing and provide employees with a sense of achievement. It may also be especially helpful for employees returning from furlough leave to help them get back up to speed. Managers can still encourage learning whilst working from home - but it should not be mandated.

For more information on how managers can support mental health, download this CIPD guide written in collaboration with Mind.

Looking after yourself: advice for people professionals

People professionals had to respond with speed and flexibility to a challenging and changing context, and continue to do so as the situation evolves and changes. As well as managing existing workloads, there has been a need to adapt policies, support people managers, increase communication and deal with the complexities of furlough. The demands on the profession have been high since March 2020. This makes it important for HR to look after their own wellbeing and mental health at the same time as supporting others. HR professionals are reminded to:

Seek support for their own mental health if they need it

Talk to their own HR teams about wellbeing and mental health

Prioritise self-care activities

Take regular rest breaks and continue to take annual leave

Be aware of the signs and symptoms of poor wellbeing and mental health and identify if they apply to themselves.

The CIPD has a range of resources to support members with their wellbeing and mental health, including the wellbeing helpline.

You can also watch this CIPD webinar on HR resilience: looking after yourself and your HR team.

DISCLAIMER: The materials in this guidance are provided for general information purposes and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. While the information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances may impact the accuracy and validity of the information. The CIPD is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any action or decision taken as a result of using the guidance. You should consult a professional adviser for legal or other advice where appropriate.

Six steps every manager can take to make sure stress doesn't get in the way of success

Go to guide

24/7 confidential helpline plus access to tools and resources to support your mental health and well-being, including support with financial difficulties.

Find out more >>

Have confident and sensitive conversations to support the well-being of your remote teams, and explore what employers need to consider for an eventual return to the workplace.

Listen to the podcast

Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Mental health support for employees | CIPD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mental health related absence is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces. Stress-related absence in particular has increased, with 37% of respondents to the CIPD and Simply Health Health and wellbeing survey saying that stress-related absence had increased in the last year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Against a backdrop of soaring prices for food, energy and other essential goods and services, many employers in the UK are asking what they can do to support their people's financial wellbeing. On this page we've collated some practical information to help you identify what actions you can take.

The good news is, even if you can't afford to offer inflation-beating pay rises, there is still a lot you can do to ease the stress and anxiety your workforce is facing. Now's the time to review your financial wellbeing policies and benefits packages to make sure they're working as hard as they can - especially for those that are most likely to be struggling to make ends meet.

With inflation soaring, some UK employers are generously topping up pay with one-off payments. However, for some low-wage employees, this could have some unintended consequences.

Too many working people are trapped in poverty. What can you do to help?

Read more

Evidence-based insight and practical recommendations for addressing employee financial wellbeing in the workplace

Read more

As the cost of living continues to rise, employers have a more important role to play than ever before in supporting their employee's financial wellbeing

Read more

Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting employees through the cost-of-living crisis | CIPD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Against a backdrop of soaring prices for food, energy and other essential goods and services, many employers in the UK are asking what they can do to support their people's financial wellbeing. On this page we've collated some practical information to help you identify what actions you can take.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HR Magazine - Providing real support in the cost of living crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The cost of living crisis is having a profound impact on individuals across the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Enabling behaviour change – information pack

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guidance note outlines some of the key issues to consider in the development of initiatives which seek to enable changes in people’s travel behaviour and offers practical tips when considering options for addressing barriers to sustainable behaviours.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding HR's Role During an Economic Crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The global pandemic has drastically changed the landscape of our business environment. Companies have faced physical and logistical challenges as many have had to move their workforce online. At the same time, the U.S. has fallen into a recession unlike any other as organizations navigate financial hardships that have led to furloughs and layoffs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An update on flexible and hybrid working practices | CIPD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our report and accompanying case studies consider the implications, challenges and benefits of hybrid and flexible working for organisations and their employees

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A wide range of research, including a YouGov survey and CIPD research, indicate that after the pandemic the majority of workers want to continue to work from home at least some of the time, presenting new opportunities for organisations to establish new ways of working.

The CIPD's Embedding new ways of working post-pandemic report shows that some 40% of employers said they expect more than half their workforce to work regularly from home after the pandemic has ended. According to data from the Office of National Statistics, prior to COVID-19 only around 5% of the workforce worked mainly from home. The pandemic, and government mandates for people to stay at home, increased this significantly. However, according to CIPD research, before the pandemic, 65% of employers either did not offer regular working from home at all or offered it to 10% or less of their workforce. After the crisis, that 65% is expected to fall dramatically to 37%. This represents a significant shift in ways of working which people professionals will need to prepare for.

While some employees want to work from home all the time after the pandemic, most would prefer a balance where they are in the office for some of the week and at home for the remainder. This has led to the use of a relatively new term: hybrid working. Many organisations are now considering what 'hybrid' means for them, how they might meet this new employee demand, and what will need to be in place in order for these new ways of working to be effective.

For most organisations, the introduction of hybrid working will require a significant culture shift and establishing new ways of working and associated policies and practices. We can learn some lessons from working from home during pandemic, however, in some ways hybrid will make greater demands of managers and organisations than the urgent shift to total remote working.

So, how, why and what should organisations think about when implementing a hybrid approach?

Why hybrid?

The significant interest in more flexible forms of working, and hybrid working in particular, have created new employee expectations and desires. Organisations who do not support flexible forms of working may therefore risk increased employee turnover, reduced employee engagement and limitations on the ability to attract talent in the future. Hybrid working also provides other opportunities for organisations in terms of reducing estate and facilities costs, enabling employee wellbeing, and supporting inclusion and diversity.

Benefits of hybrid

Despite the many complexities and challenges of living and working through the global pandemic, employees have still identified many benefits from working from home, for both them and their organisation. These benefits include a better work-life balance, greater ability to focus with fewer distractions, more time for family and friends, saved commuting time and costs, IT upskilling and higher levels of motivation.

Other benefits of flexible working include savings on office space, higher levels of employee job satisfaction and reduced absence rates.

The full benefits of hybrid working as a specific form of flexible working are yet to be fully researched but we can expect that it will, when properly implemented and supported, lead to similar benefits for both employees and organisations alike.

What to do now

Regardless of long-term strategy decisions about flexible and hybrid working, organisations will need to make their own short-term decisions about when and how employees may return safely to their offices once social distancing requirements end. The CIPD has a guide to help organisations plan and manage their return to the workplace.

Organisations may wish therefore to plan for interim hybrid working in the short term whilst also considering longer term strategic decisions on more flexible forms of working. This short-term version of hybrid working may be somewhat different to its longer-term counterpart. Depending again on the prevalence of the virus, as well as government advice, there may still be some employees who are clinically more vulnerable to COVID-19, waiting for vaccines or required to shield. As such, some employees may need to be 100% remote for a further period of time, while others are able to return for some or part of the working week.

Short term plans for a COVID-safe return

Any plan for a return to the workplace needs to include communication and reassurance about COVID-19 safe measures. It will also require ongoing wellbeing support, especially in relation to employees who may be anxious about returning to the workplace or using public transport to commute.

In relation specifically to interim hybrid working, people professionals should:

Where organisations have not already done so, they may wish to consider undertaking a listening exercise with their workforce. This will help them to understand the specific working preferences of their people for the future, as well as learn more about their experiences of working during the pandemic. It's worth bearing in mind the impact of a large scale return to the workplace on those employees who have continued to work in the workplace throughout the pandemic and their preferences for working patterns going forward.

All plans for returning to workplaces should always follow UK government guidance and legislative requirements relating to health and safety. The CIPD has developed a return to work planner and is recommending businesses consider three questions when planning and managing a return to the workplace: do people feel sufficiently safe? Will it enhance performance? Are you listening to your people?

Planning for the future

Prior to the pandemic, the progress of flexible working in the UK was described as glacial. However, roles which previously may have been considered as unsuitable for flexible or homeworking have been successfully undertaken from home for a sustained period. Although hybrid working is different from remote working, we can draw on some of the lessons and experiences from pandemic related working from home period. The CIPD's report Assessing the research evidence on working from home outlines some of these lessons.

There is no single way to implement hybrid working, and its exact form is likely to vary from organisation to organisation. In this section we will explore some of the areas to consider when considering potential approaches towards a more hybrid future.

Key steps towards introducing hybrid working should include:

Agreeing an overall strategic position on hybrid working for the organisation and development of a policy and supporting guidance reflecting the strategy.

Defining hybrid working with regard to the specific organisational context. This might include several different forms of hybrid working even within one organisation, depending on role requirements.

Engaging people managers throughout the organisation, providing an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns, as well as the provision of training and development to support successful hybrid working.

Development of a communication plan to share plans for future hybrid working with all employees, including information on how to request hybrid working.

Planning for and responding to the organisational implications of hybrid working on matters such as technology, employee wellbeing, inclusion and facilities.

Supporting effective team building and cohesion in hybrid teams. More information on this can be found in the CIPD Developing effective virtual teams report.

Some of these areas will now be considered in more detail.

Policy and procedure

Hybrid working is a form of flexible working. Therefore, employers may consider either adapting or updating an existing flexible working policy to include hybrid working as a specific category or introducing a specific hybrid working policy. What is appropriate for each business will depend on their specific context. Whichever decision is made, as hybrid working is a relatively new concept, any new or adapted policy should be issued with supporting guidance and information to enable effective implementation.

When developing policies and procedures organisations should consider the following:

There is a critical difference between the flexible working applications that were made before COVID-19 and those that are likely in the future. Flexible working legislation sets out how individuals can apply for flexible working, and how to consider requests on an individual basis. However, hybrid working may also need to be considered at a team level. Demand for hybrid working is expected to be high and it may not be procedurally effective to consider multiple requests at the same time - instead managers may need help to consider requests holistically.

This is also an opportunity to review wider flexible working policies and procedures to determine if they are fit for purpose in other areas. Ideally, organisations will offer a broad range of flexible working options in addition to hybrid working, promoting the different forms of flexibility and how to access them.

The CIPD is calling on organisations and Government to make the right to request flexible working a day-one right - read more about this campaign and pledge your support.

Legal implications of hybrid working

Organisations will need to give careful consideration to the contractual implications of hybrid working. Where employees make a formal request for hybrid working through a flexible working policy (and the request is accepted) this will amount to a formal change to terms and conditions of employment. Hybrid working (and indeed other forms of flexible working) can also be undertaken on an informal basis without a contractual change. You should make sure that employees and managers understand the differences and the implications of both.

Employment contracts should also state a contractual location. This does not necessarily change as a result of hybrid working, but employees who work permanently from home normally have their home address as their workplace.

Employees should be advised to discuss any implications of homeworking with their landlord or mortgage provider and house insurer. There may also be tax implications if an employee wishes to work some of their remote time outside of the UK. More information is available in the top tips on legal considerations of homeworking.

Organisations should take legal advice where appropriate on their specific implications of hybrid working.

Manager training and development

Hybrid working will make new demands of people managers. Although managers may have developed new skills in terms of managing a remote workforce, hybrid working brings unique challenges that are different from both predominantly remote and predominantly office-based working.

Organisations will need to put learning and development in place to ensure effective people management. This should include two separate but related elements:

Managing requests for hybrid (or increased flexible) working at an individual and team level, including initial implementation of new ways of working.

Developing the skills to ensure effective communication, performance management, team and relationship building and collaboration in hybrid teams.

Managers will also need information and guidance on ensuring inclusion and diversity, effective induction and employee engagement with a distributed team.

Technology skills may also need further development - see the next section for more information.

Technology and equipment

Technology plays a critical role in hybrid working. Employees need to be able to work seamlessly between workplace and home, and there needs to be ease of connectivity between people in the office and those working remotely.

As a result of the pandemic many employees have had to get up to speed with new technologies such as online meetings and asynchronous communication tools. Although many organisations had to build employee digital capabilities to support working from home rapidly, not everyone is fully competent with all of the technologies that will enable hybrid working and further training may be necessary.

Organisations may wish to consider the following:

Supporting employees in fully using available technology, as well as using them in a way that supports health and wellbeing.

Reviewing systems and equipment available in offices and provided by individuals in order to assess whether it will appropriately support hybrid forms of working.

Providing a mix of recommended tools (with implementation support) to enable hybrid meetings and collaboration.

Putting in place appropriate security measures to ensure system and data integrity.

In addition to technology, considering what other equipment will support effective and healthy remote working, including the provision of office furniture or mobile devices.

DISCLAIMER: The materials in this guidance are provided for general information purposes and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. While the information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances may impact the accuracy and validity of the information. The CIPD is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any action or decision taken as a result of using the guidance. You should consult a professional adviser for legal or other advice where appropriate.

Watch our webinar to learn from experts about how organisations can facilitate a smooth and safe return to their physical workplace

Watch video

Advice for line managers on supporting and enabling hybrid working

View and download the guide

This guide examines some of the key issues that employers need to consider in managing the return to work for furloughed workers

Read more

Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A wide range of research, including a YouGov survey and CIPD research, indicate that after the pandemic the majority of workers want to continue to work from home at least some of the time, presenting new opportunities for organisations to establish new ways of working.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
COVID-19: Briefing note #100, April 13, 2022

As COVID-19 becomes endemic in much of the world, we turn our focus to sustainable and inclusive growth.

On March 2, 2020, just over a week before a global pandemic was declared, we published COVID-19: Briefing note #1. Our plan was to publish an update on the virus's implications for business for as many weeks as the news felt urgent. We did not expect to continue for more than two years, nor to ever publish briefing note #100, as we have today.

It's painful to reflect on these 100 editions, on the millions of lives lost, the suffering and grief, and the myriad disruptions to lives and livelihoods. But in what is perhaps a hopeful sign, we now feel the time is right to stop. COVID-19 news seems less urgent than at any time in the past two years. All of McKinsey's published work now intrinsically accounts for the pandemic, even if it is not directly mentioned. COVID-19 has gone from being a fresh emergency to a fact of life.

In a few weeks, we will relaunch this weekly report with links to the latest McKinsey publications. Our new theme will be sustainable and inclusive growth. After more than two years of reporting on a destructive force, we look forward to sharing our research and thoughts on how people and organizations can build a better world.

McKinsey is already exploring how to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, the topic of the inaugural episode of the new Future of America podcast. McKinsey Global Institute director and senior partner Kweilin Ellingrud and senior partner Greg Kelly discuss how leading companies can use the pandemic recovery as an opportunity to accelerate prosperity for more Americans. Customers and consumers want to be associated with companies that are making a positive difference. Companies can accelerate inclusivity and sustainability by having real awareness, committing to change, rewarding the change, and providing coaching and development to make the change happen.

After more than two years of reporting on a destructive force, we look forward to sharing our research and thoughts on how people and organizations can build a better world.

Much near-term growth will arise from a once-in-a-lifetime wave of capital spending on physical assets between now and 2027. This surge of roughly $130 trillion in investment will flood into projects to decarbonize and renew critical infrastructure. But few organizations are prepared to deliver on this capital influx with the speed and efficiency it demands. Companies should consider implementing a portfolio-synergistic strategy in which planning is top down, a major business challenge requiring savvy stakeholder management, capital markets expertise, and an understanding of complex approval processes.

Sustainable, inclusive growth will require changing the workplace to maximize the contributions of all people. In the COVID-19 era, women across all sectors have shouldered more household responsibilities, and more women report feelings of burnout. These problems can be more acute for women in healthcare, who have fewer opportunities to work remotely and report feeling greater pressure to prioritize work over family. In spite of these challenges, healthcare continues to outperform other sectors in the representation of women, who make up more than two-thirds of entry-level employees and 53 percent of employees in roles at the senior-manager level or above, which is 18 percentage points higher than the average across all sectors.

Each sector, industry, and function will have to reinvent itself to achieve maximum growth and sustainability. Procurement leaders, for example, are facing one of the toughest market environments of their careers. Procurement organizations need to take a leading role in protecting enterprise margin and growth, invest in proven technology and process automation, and build deep expertise in supply market dynamics, among other fundamental changes. A pair of articles featuring McKinsey and outside experts explore how the CFO's role is also rapidly evolving-expanding in scope, requiring new capabilities, and demanding greater collaboration with C-suite peers. Among the most significant changes to the role is the demand for CFOs to help promote capability building and talent development within their organizations.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Our latest edition of McKinsey for Kids explores how programmers use games to teach computers how to think, ultimately developing AI. Kids can read, take quizzes, and watch animations to learn about how the human brain and computers are both alike and different and about a cornerstone of AI programming called "reinforcement learning."

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #99, April 6, 2022

Some pandemic effects will take a long time to cure.

COVID-19 appears to be moving to endemicity in some parts of the world. But even in these places, some of the pandemic's damaging consequences are only now being assessed and understood. This week, McKinsey studied the degrees of learning loss suffered by students around the world. We also looked at the pandemic's lingering effects on the airline industry and on labor markets and examined how long it might take for some things to go back to how they used to be and why others never will.

On average, students globally are eight months behind where they would have been absent the COVID-19-pandemic, but the impact varies widely (exhibit). Within countries, the pandemic also widened gaps between historically vulnerable students and more privileged peers. We estimate by 2040, unfinished learning related to COVID-19 could translate to annual losses of $1.6 trillion to the global economy. Educational systems could consider a tiered approach to support reengagement, with more support (including social and emotional) for the highest-risk students.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused airline revenues to drop by 60 percent in 2020, and air travel and tourism are not expected to return to 2019 levels before 2024. Challenges vary across the global aviation landscape. In particular, airlines need to bolster their resilience by increasing their cash reserves, which would reduce the need for bailouts every time a crisis hits, and by improving their ability to reduce supply quickly and cost-effectively when demand abruptly falls. McKinsey's latest survey of more than 5,500 air travelers globally revealed a potential long-term challenge: the share of respondents who say they plan to fly less to minimize their environmental impact rose five percentage points since 2019 to 36 percent, and more than half of respondents said that aviation should become carbon neutral in the future. "Flygskam," or shame about flying, plays a role. Leading airlines that build a brand promise on sustainability will likely attract a growing share of business.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Distributors can learn from Amazon Business and other large digital players that are building best-in-class distribution networks and offering products they used to avoid due to technical or supply chain challenges.

Paper and forest product CEOs should consider future-proofing companies with strategies such as "precision forestry"; by leading on environmental, social, and governance (ESG); and by harnessing digital and analytics capabilities to strengthen competitiveness.

The semiconductor industry's aggregate annual growth could average from 6 to 8 percent a year up to 2030, resulting in a $1 trillion industry. Amid the growth of remote working, AI, and demand for electric vehicles, manufacturers and designers should now take stock and ensure they are best placed to reap the rewards.

General and administrative functions can optimize for speed and flexibility by eliminating the silos that traditionally occur between different departments. This will drive better cross-department coordination and allow leaders to realign staff more efficiently.

Health provider systems could prioritize efforts to meet patients' unmet needs by creating partnerships with schools, community organizations, payers, private businesses, and government agencies.

In 2020, Californians bought and wore more than 500,000 tons of clothing, almost all of which will eventually enter landfills covering an area about 3.5 times the size of the City of Los Angeles. The key to reducing fashion waste is circularity-building a closed loop for recycling materials back into the manufacturing process.

Our latest edition of McKinsey for Kids explores how programmers use games to teach computers how to think, ultimately developing AI. Kids can read, take quizzes, and watch animations to learn about how the human brain and computers are both alike and different and about a cornerstone of AI programming called "reinforcement learning."

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #98, March 30, 2022

One of COVID-19's health effects is the transformation of healthcare.

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world's health but may leave a lasting legacy of improving how the world addresses healthcare. The effort to develop and distribute vaccines demonstrated how much can be achieved with global collaboration, lessons that can be applied to ambitious improvements in well-being. This week, McKinsey explored how the pandemic changed healthcare approaches, including expectations, delivery, viral-vector gene therapy, investment, and consumer attitudes.

Humanity mobilized against COVID-19 at a speed and scale previously unseen. While far from perfect, the undertaking's successes should inspire the world to challenge the view of what is possible. Over the past century, life expectancy has dramatically increased in most parts of the world, but the portion of life that human beings spend in moderate and poor health hasn't changed (exhibit). The McKinsey Health Institute believes humanity could add roughly six years per person on average of higher-quality life by making six major shifts in how the world approaches health.

Even when COVID-19 becomes endemic, healthcare delivery in the United States will continue to transform rapidly. McKinsey's 14th annual healthcare conference explored the next wave of industry evolution and how healthcare organizations must innovate to thrive. The future of care delivery is evolving to become patient-centric, virtual, ambulatory, in the home, value based, and risk bearing. It will be driven by data and analytics, enabled by new medical technologies, and funded by private investors.

COVID-19 accelerated viral-vector gene therapies. Some of the earliest viral-vector-based therapies targeting rare diseases required companies to produce only about 1,000 doses across development, access programs, and two years of commercialization. In comparison, the unprecedented demand and funding for COVID-19 vaccines enabled a ten- to 100-fold increase in production when adjusted by dose amount, with over two billion doses of the AstraZeneca viral-vector-based vaccine already produced. Keeping pace with increasing demand requires the consideration of challenges, the potential for standardization, and strategizing for accelerating patient access.

In light of growing opportunities, private investors are pouring into healthcare. That becomes clear throughout McKinsey's annual Global Private Markets Review, which delves into the data and details of a wide range of private markets asset classes, including private equity, debt, real estate, and infrastructure investing. Healthcare is a recurring theme in this year's report: in 2021, the healthcare sector had the fastest deal-volume growth globally since 2016. Of the largest ten private equity deals in 2021, three were in healthcare, and the largest deal involved a manufacturer and distributor of healthcare supplies. Many of the top 20 private equity firms have dedicated teams for healthcare, which speaks to its growing importance within the asset class.

The number of vaccinated US respondents in McKinsey's Consumer Health Insights Survey has remained about the same since November of 2021, when 77 percent reported that they were vaccinated. Approximately 75 percent of respondents to the February survey reported that they'd been vaccinated; in addition, 63 percent of vaccinated respondents plan to stay current on COVID-19 vaccinations as recommended by healthcare leaders. Consumers are increasingly comfortable testing for COVID-19 at home; in fact, it now ranks as the most preferred testing location. Additionally, more than half of respondents indicated that they would prefer a health plan with virtual-health benefits.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #97, March 23, 2022

Uncertainty returns-but this time, the cause is not COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic created short-term disruptions and provoked long-term changes in how the world lives and does business. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now doing the same. This week, McKinsey published on what we know about the war and some of its possible global consequences. Among them are likely impacts to supply chains and how companies think about preparing for crises, two of our other topics this week. Another article provides a hopeful look at the investment pouring into decarbonization and renewal of infrastructure.

We, like many others, are shocked by the unfolding humanitarian tragedy resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine (exhibit).

As a result of the war in Ukraine, the era of not looking too closely at supply chains, trusting suppliers, and optimizing for cost is probably over. Those behaviors, already made suspect by new tariff regimes and the COVID-19 pandemic, are now likely to be consigned to history. Our latest research finds that despite progress over the past several years, companies are still struggling to build the capabilities that their emerging digital supply chains need. The most effective capability-building programs invest in foundational, end-to-end supply chain knowledge building, coupled with advanced functional, technical, and leadership training.

The world will see a once-in-a-lifetime wave of capital spending on physical assets between now and 2027. Roughly $130 trillion will flood into projects to decarbonize and renew critical infrastructure. But it won't be easy: constructing and justifying the cost of a physical asset such as a manufacturing plant is much more difficult than it was decades ago, given inflation, rigorous sustainability requirements, and rapid changes in technology and regulations.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online purchases and package deliveries at an unprecedented rate. Even conservative estimates project that cross-border e-commerce in goods will expand to about $1 trillion in merchandise value by 2030, from its current value of approximately $300 billion. Regulations and tariffs are also likely to increase, as are customer expectations for speed, decentralized supply chains, and specialist segments.

The increasing frequency and magnitude of economic volatility have put more pressure on traditional financial planning and analysis (FP&A) processes and teams. Next-level FP&A teams have figured out how to build more speed and flexibility into their processes, which can trigger more efficient and effective operations throughout the company.

Health equity is an opportunity and a challenge for pharmaceutical and life sciences players. By following the data and by working together, organizations can meet needs and create a cycle of trust in underserved communities.

Debra Facktor, head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, spoke to McKinsey about her job responsibilities, the future of the aerospace sector, and her experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Also in Author Talks, retired Navy SEAL commander Rich Diviney talks about his book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimum Performance (Random House, January 2021). Diviney dives into how we can-and should-assess and develop our own attributes, equipping ourselves for optimum performance within our lives and throughout our careers.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #96, March 16, 2022

On the second anniversary of the COVID-19-pandemic, we reflect on what we've learned.

Just over two years ago, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. Since then, one in every 1,300 people alive in 2019 has died from infection with SARS-CoV-2. Two years on, it is easy to forget how remarkable the development of COVID-19 vaccines was: moving in just 326 days from a genomic sequence to the authorization of a vaccine shattered all previous records.

For this anniversary, we reflected on ten core lessons of the pandemic (see sidebar), some of which exposed fault lines in our society and others that demonstrated amazing capabilities. A separate initiative compiled two years' worth of research on pandemic impacts, while a third article examined how the pandemic set input prices rising and what to do about it.

As part of our examination of where the pandemic took us and what's next, we've gathered interviews and articles about COVID-19 from the past two years. Interviews with General James Mattis; Steven M. Jones, co-inventor of the first Ebola vaccine; and McKinsey senior partner Shubham Singhal addressed the crisis as it occurred. Packages of articles examining the pandemic's effects on areas including healthcare, operations, and sustainable and inclusive growth show how industries have been shaped by the experience and how leaders are looking toward the future.

The aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to rock the global economy. Following the shutdowns of 2020 and the supply chain challenges of 2021, another wave of disruptions is now breaking over businesses around the world: rising input prices. Accurate cost models and advanced digital operations help organizations respond to rising costs and equip them with the tools and capabilities they need to thrive when prices fall.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Cybersecurity threats are growing and threaten companies of all sizes, municipalities, and state and federal governments. The solution is to reinforce defenses by anticipating emerging cyberthreats and understanding the new defensive capabilities that companies can use today and others they can plan to use tomorrow.

By 2020, 40 years after the development of the first commercial machines, the additive-manufacturing sector had become a €13.4 billion industry. As technical barriers fall, the onus is on manufacturers to build skills, processes, and business models.

McKinsey's second annual review of the progress of digitization in German healthcare shows solid uptakes of telemedicine and consumer health apps, but lagging use of e-prescriptions, health-data exchange, and use of electronic health records.

McKinsey and Club 21e Siècle created the French Corporate Diversity Barometer to measure the diversity of national origins and socioeconomic backgrounds of the executives of large companies in France.

Prioritizing privacy, sustainability, and inclusion will soon be essential to successful tech development. Companies must provide the tools, training, and resources for product managers to make responsible innovation ubiquitous.

Internal-combustion-engine suppliers must manage uncertainty during these challenging times for the industry. To succeed, they will need a new operating model that includes formulating dynamic responses to continuing disruptions and focusing on building value through higher return on invested capital.

Sustainability and digital (particularly e-commerce) will create significant challenges for packaging industry leaders, as well as once-in-a-lifetime transformational opportunities.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #95, March 9, 2022

Another global crisis is now overshadowing COVID-19.

For the first time in two years, concerns about another global crisis overshadowed the COVID-19 pandemic: the Russian government's invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian tragedy it is causing. Implications for the world economy will become more visible in the coming weeks and months; this week, McKinsey identified some immediate global economic impacts. Coincidentally, our other major publishing initiative this week is a deep dive into insurance-an industry that exists, in essence, in case things go wrong.

The Russian government's invasion of Ukraine is causing a humanitarian crisis and economic risks. Our Global Economics Intelligence executive summary for February discusses how the invasion of Ukraine has mostly set energy prices surging. The oil price (Brent) was near $60 per barrel on December 1 but climbed steadily thereafter, touching $100 in late February. The price of natural gas and coal has similarly climbed during this period (exhibit). Prior to the invasion, the US dollar was depreciating slightly against most major currencies; it is now rising in value. Other immediate economic effects were spikes in the prices of gold, crude oil, and natural gas, as well as stock market losses.

As part of our celebration of International Women's Day 2022, 20 female McKinsey partners offer insights in a series of interviews on the insurance industry. Topics include operations, growth, claims management, underwriting, product innovation, digital business building, and motor insurance. Further interviews examine women's representation in the insurance industry and look at the broader issue of diversity in insurance.

New customer expectations, low interest rates, and new sources of competition (such as leading tech companies, insurtechs, and third-party capital) are putting pressure on insurance carriers to be more innovative. It's not easy: successfully profiting from innovation is a complex, company-wide endeavor, and most insurers have not yet consistently cracked this code. Steps for building innovation into the way an organization works include shifting resources from core business tasks to breakthrough innovation initiatives and developing distinct product-development pathways and processes.

Insurers should consider programmatic M&A: systematically acquiring small to midsize businesses, services, and capabilities and integrating them as new businesses or capabilities. Insurers can use this approach to tackle issues including sustaining growth in core life and annuity businesses and enhancing property and casualty presence in growth markets.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

On The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partners Michael Chui and Mark Collins share their thoughts on the findings of McKinsey's latest Internet of Things (IoT) report. Fast-growing areas include consumer applications (especially in the connected home); hospital, acute-care, and residential-care settings; and factories, cities, and work sites. Integrating IoT is often easier in greenfield settings but harder to integrate into legacy environments.

Of 346 large M&A deals announced between 2013 and 2020, 47 were canceled for antitrust or regulatory reasons. While executing remedy separations, it is vital to adhere to the perimeter set by regulators, move fast in identifying potential buyers, and ensure a close integration between the remedy separation process and the overall transaction and integration process.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #94, March 3, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic may finally be ending.

A new variant may yet trigger another chapter in the COVID-19 pandemic, and societies must be prepared to respond if and when that happens. But for now, the pandemic phase looks to be ending. With a possible conclusion in sight, this week McKinsey focused on how postpandemic workforces can be supported with expanded opportunity, digital tools, more equitable promotions, and better office design.

In the latest edition of our " When will the COVID-19 pandemic end?" series, McKinsey examined scenarios that would lead to either reigniting a pandemic-level crisis or further steps toward endemicity. As long as Omicron remains the dominant variant, there is reason for relative optimism; in the United States, for example, hospitalizations would remain low (exhibit). By and large, the six-month outlook in many countries is brighter than at any time in the past two years. The main risk to the transition to endemicity is a significantly different and more severe new variant that replaces Omicron as the dominant strain.

In technical roles, only 52 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men, according to McKinsey's Women in the Workplace 2021 report, coauthored with LeanIn.Org. Companies can improve women's promotion rates by providing equitable access to skill building, implementing a structured promotion process that seeks to remove bias, and building a strong culture of support for women via mentors and sponsors.

Diane Hoskins, co-CEO of Gensler, a global design and architecture firm, has been thinking about effective workplaces for decades and is now helping her clients navigate the next normal. In a conversation with McKinsey Real Estate Practice leader Aditya Sanghvi, Hoskins discusses how COVID-19 made it even more essential to design offices around organizational strategies, leadership models, operational frameworks, and potential outcomes of a company.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

The Consumer Price Index rose faster in January than at any time in the prior 40 years. Businesses facing inflation are caught between the need to reprice and sustain margins and the damage this can do to customer relationships and sales. McKinsey's suggested approach can help companies establish sales-led pricing for inflation while maintaining long-term value for the business and its customers.

Banks can learn to manage nonfinancial risks by observing the effective approaches corporates have developed. These include embedding risk into strategy and improving overall resilience.

Our analysis suggests that in 2030, demand for green steel in Europe could be twice as great as the available supply, and there may be global shortages of recycled aluminum and recycled plastic. By planning green-materials sourcing strategies, companies can achieve immediate emissions reductions and sustain progress toward longer-term goals.

COVID-19 accelerated the sophistication of China's logistics industry, a crucial node in the global supply chain. Greater consolidation and integration are likely in some subsectors-such as third-party logistics and express-delivery carriers-and expect growth in other areas, such as warehouse automation and air cargo.

On the McKinsey on Government podcast, McKinsey senior partner Scott Blackburn and partner Brooke Weddle discuss how the US government's leaders can implement an effective transformation.

In this edition of Author Talks, Whitney Johnson, the CEO of tech-enabled talent agency Disruption Advisors, talks about her new book, Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company (Harvard Business Review Press, January 2022). Mastering new skills follows an S-curve, where there's a difficult introductory phase, a "sweet spot" where you're enjoying applying new knowledge, and an end part of the curve where boredom can set in. Leaders need to understand where their teams are to create the right supports for each phase, Johnson says.
This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in McKinsey's Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #93, February 23, 2022

The COVID-19-pandemic accelerated our need for a new kind of growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic served as an accelerant in multiple ways. This week, McKinsey looked at how the pandemic spurred the adoption of telehealth and e-commerce, exacerbated pressure on nurses, and made company operations more complex. In the big picture, it increased the urgency for a new vision of global growth, one that benefits more people and leaves our planet healthy.

Crises such as COVID-19 can become watersheds of policy and strategy. In an editorial published in Fortune, Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive director of the World Economic Forum, and Bob Sternfels, McKinsey's global managing partner, propose pursuing a sustainable, inclusive growth agenda that supports the health of the natural environment while improving the livelihoods of wider population segments. Leaders can shape a resilience agenda by addressing the interrelationships between climate, healthcare, labor needs, supply chains, digitization, finance, and inequality and economic development.

To build a better future, the emphasis must now shift from defensive measures and short-term goals to a sustainable, inclusive growth agenda.

The pandemic ignited telehealth: as of mid-2021, utilization was 38 times higher than before the pandemic. However, McKinsey's most recent Physician Survey showed that most doctors don't love telehealth as much as patients do. Most expect to return to a primarily in-person delivery model over the next year, and 62 percent said they recommend in-person over virtual care to patients.

Healthcare workers and their organizations continue to face unparalleled demands stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-two percent of registered nurses surveyed in the United States in November said they may leave their current direct-patient-care role, according to McKinsey's latest research. Healthcare organizations can consider a number of medium- and longer-term strategies to support their workforces.

As companies look at areas to automate, they need a clear, complete picture of service processes. The complexity of services, which often involve coordinating multiple functions in nonlinear ways, makes bad handoffs a perpetual problem. Add to these factors the burgeoning number of customer touchpoints and the accelerated move to remote working since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenge looms even larger. An approach we call process insights-which marries technology tools and analytics in a disciplined, three-stage process-shows promise.

While our theme this week is the pandemic's accelerating effects, we also looked at the opposite: how COVID-19 can spur lightning-fast pullbacks. Although consumer confidence is growing, desire for travel has shown a faltering recovery due to sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks. Our examination of China's tourism industry showed that a predictable pattern is emerging where desire for travel recovers roughly two months after a decline. Furthermore, travelers' preferences are shifting, with implications for travel companies.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Signed in November, the US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide more than $1 trillion in public investment. One core component of the legislation is addressing the country's aging water system. The act provides funding to replace lead pipes, address emerging contaminants in small and disadvantaged communities, and support rural water projects.

A relative lack of top software companies threatens Europe's economic competitiveness. But Europe could take a lead in software and build large players by playing to the continent's strengths: vertical B2B software, software platforms for digitizing small and medium-size enterprises, and horizontal platforms built on European R&D excellence.

Software sourcing, now a major driver of overall product cost, requires critical investments in capabilities and technologies, as well as significant financial resources. Those players that can procure software and related services at minimum cost and risk have a distinct competitive advantage.

Asian acquirers are key players in the Asian M&A landscape, and many are setting their sights worldwide. Our research finds that the most effective dealmakers practice programmatic M&A tied directly to a stated strategy.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #92, February 16, 2022

As Omicron reminded us, health is everything.

McKinsey focused on health this week, starting with a discussion of how Omicron has played out so far and what is likely next in the pandemic's trajectory. An article on women's health explores the remarkable tradition of viewing it as a healthcare niche, rather than a core concern of half the world's population. Technology is increasingly merging with healthcare, so we extrapolated this theme further to examine how to keep companies' technology healthy.

Half of the world's population is women, and women account for 80 percent of consumer-purchasing decisions in the healthcare industry. Yet women's health has been considered a niche market and a mere subset of healthcare. A particularly illuminating statistic: only 1 percent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond oncology. Changing how the industry thinks about women's health is an important step toward identifying value-creating opportunities for meeting women's healthcare needs.

It is not a light switch event to get to an endemic phase, because it is as much about the behavior and psychology that we all exhibit as it is about the epidemiology of the virus itself.

FemTech is an emerging category consisting of tech-enabled, consumer-centric solutions addressing women's health. Depending on scope, estimates for FemTech's current market size range from $500 million to $1 billion, and forecasts suggest opportunities for double-digit revenue growth. Our analysis of 763 companies indicates that the dynamics underlying FemTech are accelerating and that public awareness, company formation, and funding are surging.

When employees feel understood and supported by their employers, they tend to be happier, more effective, and more likely to stick around. Companies can use the power of AI and machine learning to coach employees. An AI-driven system can be designed to identify key moments when employees would benefit from a "nudge" that guides them toward positive actions, including improving their health, accessing training, and trying a different performance approach.

To protect the health of our work environments from ransomware, everyone from the board and C-suite to down the line must work to ingrain security into an organization's DNA. Ransomware costs are expected to reach $265 billion by 2031. Supply chain attacks rose by 42 percent in the first quarter of 2021 in the United States, affecting up to seven million people, while security threats against industrial control systems and operational technology more than tripled in 2020.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

McKinsey's Global Insurance Report 2022 explores long-term challenges facing the industry as well as a raft of trends unleashed by COVID-19. Insurers face fundamental strategic questions of how to create more value for shareholders and how to reframe the role of insurance in society. The report proposes nine imperatives that will help carriers navigate the current environment and focus on the businesses of which they are the best natural owners.

With a target of a 78 percent reduction in economy-wide greenhouse-gas emissions by 2035 now enshrined in law, there is a strong impetus to transition the United Kingdom's energy system to net zero. Looking at electricity demand, technology, and the grid, McKinsey examines options available to investors, regulators, policy makers, and energy companies.

Companies used to outsource business processes primarily as a cost-saving strategy. Today, companies outsource to capitalize on sophisticated provider offerings, including customized industry solutions and advances in digital technology, such as AI, analytics, and machine learning.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #91, February 9, 2022

The CEO job description just got a bit longer.

CEOs have always carried a heavy workload, but the issues they confront today add several fresh layers. Climate change requires a new way of looking at asset value that models the potential impact of various types of risk. COVID-19 and its aftermath means leaders must engage empathetically in topics relating to their employees' well-being. This week, McKinsey examined how the pandemic and other world events have added to leaders' list of most important tasks.

Climate change and the risks it imposes upon assets and markets is one of the biggest challenges confronting CEOs and other leaders today. The real-estate industry is already facing the need to build new capabilities that allow it to assess how climate-change risks alter values and what subsequent actions to take. Part of capability building involves understanding both physical risks and transition risks stemming from regulatory, social, and market reactions to climate change (exhibit). Once real estate and other leaders understand value impact, they can proceed to decarbonizing and finding new sources of value throughout the climate transition.

COVID-19 brought on a new set of employee pressures, including trying to take care of work and children at a time when school doors close suddenly, and managing the 24/7 nature of working from home. These burdens also imply a new set of pressures for CEOs and other leaders as they attempt to support overburdened workforces. On the McKinsey Talks Talent podcast, McKinsey talent experts Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger discuss how leaders must engage in employees' lives and well-being in ways they seldom did in the past.

We're in one of the most bewildering labor markets in a generation, said Asutosh Padhi, McKinsey's managing partner for North America, in a CNN Business Perspectives commentary. CEOs can respond by expanding recruitment efforts to people who have work experience but don't have degrees; supporting more "gateway jobs," or stepping-stone positions that provide an income boost; and by challenging their organizations to embrace a more inclusive, skills-based approach to hiring and talent management.

Across industries, product-development functions are encountering a perfect storm of supply chain issues arising from the pandemic, the current labor mismatch, and evergreen themes of managing cost, quality, and time. Rather than becoming part of the much-bemoaned war for talent, companies can develop the capabilities of their existing workforce to fill skills gaps.

As the economy continues to reel from the effects of COVID-19, consumer-packaged-goods companies are under more pressure than ever. Prices for food and packaging commodities have increased by more than 22 percent. Manufacturing wages and labor costs rose in 2020 from 5 to 20 percent of total costs. To respond to these rapid, sweeping changes, companies need to transform their operating models to the new reality.

Given that economies are expected to shift away from stimulus spending and other policy supports, forecasters and economists generally project a slower pace for global growth in 2022-but one that is still faster than prepandemic levels. January's Global Economics Intelligence executive summary focuses on how inflation is playing out around the world, efforts to control it, and its impact on growth and employment.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

To better understand recent developments in sustainable packaging, we mapped regulations in 30 countries and found four common patterns. To ensure they comply with evolving requirements, packaging companies should track regulatory changes in their focus markets and implement processes to address future requirements proactively.

Responding to a McKinsey survey, two out of three Americans told us their social values now shape their shopping choices, and 45 percent believe retailers should actively support Black-owned businesses and brands. Most retailers will need to make changes to meet the needs of these "inclusive consumers" by sourcing products that dovetail with consumer values and by communicating the changes to the public.

Up to four-fifths of a product's lifetime emissions are determined by decisions made at the design stage. By building on proven cost-optimization techniques, companies can get those choices right.

Myths often hold back heavy industries from activating agile working practices. However, agility in heavy-industry organizations can be used to make operational improvements, to enhance run activities, to augment all-important safety standards, and ultimately to become an enduring source of competitive advantage.

In this edition of Author Talks, Neil Hoyne, Google's chief measurement strategist, discusses his new book Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers' Hearts (Penguin Random House, February 2022). Data alone is not the answer for companies trying to grow, Hoyne says. Instead, companies can find growth by creating the right data strategy, leadership, and processes.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #90, February 2, 2022

The postpandemic world calls for fresh leadership ideas.

Organizations increasingly recognize that modern leadership means knowing how to make the most of digitization and technology, diverse talent, and the opinions of a range of stakeholders. This week, McKinsey dug for the details. Articles and an interactive explore how companies can take advantage of advanced-intelligence technology and become truly data driven. A new interview series illuminates how three Black leaders developed their leadership styles, while further articles explore casting the idea net wider.

Leading industrial and manufacturing companies are using machine-intelligence technologies to move the needle on a broad set of performance indicators, achieving three or four times the impact of average players. The full scale of the opportunity is set to continue as more use cases evolve from simple dashboards to greater levels of autonomy.

What exactly does it mean to be a data-driven enterprise, and what would such an organization look like by 2025? Our interactive helps executives envision success by defining seven characteristics of a data-driven organization, how each would differ from what we typically see today, and how to achieve each step. Companies able to make the most progress fastest stand to capture the highest value from data-supported capabilities.

McKinsey created the Connected Leaders Academy to equip Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Asian leaders with the network and capabilities to achieve their professional aspirations. In our new interview series, My Leadership Journey, participants from the private sector, academia, the arts, and other walks of life reflect on their formative experiences and leadership styles. Jason Wright, president of Washington's football team, the Commanders, told McKinsey about getting cut nine times from the NFL and talking his way back to opportunity by honing a narrative about what he could contribute. Stephanie Hill, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin's Rotary and Mission Systems, discussed the importance of accepting uncomfortable challenges to build a career. Barry Lawson Williams, founder and former managing general partner of Williams Pacific Ventures, who has also served on 16 major public-company boards, spoke about how he built a network that helped position him for lucky breaks.
Even the most seasoned professional was a neophyte at some point, a fact celebrated in our My Rookie Moment video series, in which McKinsey colleagues discuss the first time they had to deal with a particular challenge. The latest edition features stories about "leaps of faith," in which partners had to do something for which they felt unprepared. Yarns include a tale of on-command public speaking and the recollection of facing a client who demanded different conclusions.
What does an army veteran who has returned from deployment five times have to teach a McKinsey organizational expert? Plenty, as a letter and conversations between Adria Horn, executive vice president of workforce at Tilson, a national telecom provider, and senior partner Aaron De Smet revealed. Horn reached out to McKinsey after reading about how companies can reengage employees postpandemic. She shared her view of parallels between soldiers returning from war zones and employees coming back to the office after living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting conversation explores the alienation of return and how employers can work from a place of empathy.

Brainstorming is supposed to result in conversations like the one between Horn and De Smet. But too often, the value of casting the net wide for opinions is undercut by participants feeling pressured to conform. A structured approach that guides a group through anonymous brainstorming and silent voting removes some of the risks that can thwart honest discussion.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Based on a survey of physicians who serve predominantly Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage patients, we estimate that up to $265 billion worth of care services could shift from traditional facilities to the home by 2025 without a reduction in quality or access. Care at Home could create value for payers, healthcare facilities and physician groups, providers, technology companies, investors, and, above all, patients.

Korean companies would benefit from portfolio restructuring by making governance more transparent and by advancing women's equality at work. In a wide-ranging conversation, André Andonian, managing partner of McKinsey Korea, discusses McKinsey's near- and long-term goals in the country and how Korea is preparing for the post-COVID-19 economy.

Investors are directing more funds to projects involving lunar and beyond orbital regimes, which have traditionally attracted less attention than regimes at lower altitudes. All signs point to continued growth.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #89, January 26, 2022

Tackling the other big global crisis.

Since March of 2020, we have focused this weekly update on sharing research into the health emergency facing the world. This week, we took a break from the COVID-19 pandemic to zero in on the other crisis that poses threats to lives and livelihoods: climate change, and the need to transition to a net-zero world. Additional articles looked at pressing issues including why the loss of US manufacturing has increased inequality, and how the Great Attrition is playing out in nursing.

A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute looks at what an economic transformation to net-zero emissions would entail. The transformation would affect all countries and all sectors of the economy, either directly or indirectly. In six sections of the report, we assess economic shifts for 69 countries and changes in sectors that produce about 85 percent of overall emissions, as well as provide estimates for what it will all cost (exhibit).

The report includes an examination of effective decarbonization actions, which include shifting the energy mix, increasing energy efficiency, and enhancing sinks of both long- and short-lived greenhouse gases. Another section illustrates the economic and societal adjustments that would enable a successful transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, focusing on demand, capital allocation, costs, and jobs. We examine which sectors of the economy are more exposed to a net-zero transition, and how the transition could play out in various countries and regions. A section about actions for stakeholders explores what companies, financial institutions, and governments and multilateral institutions can do.

Also this week: revitalizing US manufacturing could be fundamental to resolving inequities while driving sustainable, inclusive growth. Today, the manufacturing sector represents just 10 percent of US GDP and jobs but drives 20 percent of the nation's capital investment, 35 percent of productivity growth, 60 percent of exports, and 70 percent of business R&D expenditure. Strengthening the sector could also address the pervasive supply chain issues wreaking havoc all over the world, easing short-term disruption caused by the pandemic while improving global competitiveness in the midterm to long term.

During a time of unprecedented need, what can employers do to prevent losing nurses, the backbone of the healthcare workforce, to the Great Attrition? The McKinsey Podcast speaks with senior partner Gretchen Berlin, a registered nurse, about the need to pay nurses adequately and to ensure that there's sufficient staffing, respite, and gratitude.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

In October 2020, coking coal accounted for more than half of the cost of the raw materials needed to produce a metric ton of steel via a blast furnace-a rare occurrence by historical standards. Though prices have fallen since then, steelmakers should consider the effect of longer-term coal price increases as part of their planning and adjust their plans as the implications evolve.

The new normal for sporting goods includes increased health awareness, acceptance of athleisure, thriving e-commerce, and sustainability as a core concern. McKinsey's summary of the state of the industry suggests strategies for navigating the trends.

New and better digital tools can help companies analyze voice conversation and unlock the full potential of digital investments to improve customer service.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #88, January 19, 2022

Fallout from the pandemic demands targeted action.

For much of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have tried to prepare for what might unfold. Today, some of those possibilities have arrived as undeniable challenges that demand new ways of operating. This week, McKinsey looked at fallout, including inflation, young peoples' mental-health struggles, a pattern of "jolting" growth, and the demand for government agencies to improve customer service.

Not since the 1970s has inflation been such a central issue for companies, so finding creative ways to mitigate price increases is a dormant skill in many organizations. McKinsey experts offer a series of steps supply-chain leaders can use to determine whether a price increase is fair, starting by identifying the main cost inputs that have the highest level of change, estimating the percentage of the total cost these inputs make up, and calculating an acceptable price-increase range (exhibit). Response strategies include using a strong fact base for win-win negotiating and exploring new suppliers.

A series of McKinsey consumer surveys and interviews indicated unprecedented behavioral-health challenges facing Generation Z and stark differences among generations. Gen Z respondents were more likely than other generations to report having been diagnosed with a mental-health or substance-use issue, as well as more likely to have sought no treatment for the problem. Gen Z respondents were also two to three times more likely than other generations to report thinking about, planning, or attempting suicide in the 12 months spanning late 2019 to late 2020.

There could be a postpandemic boom on the horizon, but it will likely depend on business leaders' ability to respond to productivity and growth "jolts" caused by the pandemic. The onset of COVID-19 brought a set of discontinuities that drove the first jolt to growth and productivity. Now, near-term uncertainties pose risks to growth; however, responding effectively could translate to a second jolt. The potential third and final jolt may be the largest as companies reshape their long-term strategies to reflect-and define-the next normal.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

Road freight accounts for 53 percent of CO₂ emissions within global trade-related transport, a share expected to rise to 56 percent by 2050 if current trends continue. Road Freight Zero: Pathways to faster adoption of zero-emission trucks is a joint publication by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey that describes how countries can reach their emissions goals for road freight.

With a market of more than $2.8 trillion worldwide, fragmented retail is poised to be transformed by "eB2B" players: portals and applications that replace the in-person sales model for small retailers and restaurants. By understanding the market structure and properly setting the scale and speed of change, companies can design an eB2B solution capable of disruption.

Reaching net zero in the cement and construction value chain by 2050 will require the buildings and construction industry to decarbonize three times faster over the next 30 years versus the previous 30. At the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, McKinsey brought together global property owners, contractors, materials suppliers, investors, equipment manufacturers, and disruptors to define the path forward. Among the takeaways: the industry can boost innovation by developing common standards and shared R&D resources.

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #87, January 12, 2022

People are the fuel that will power the next industrial revolution.

Amid the Omicron surge, it's perhaps poignant to note that all the advanced technology in the world means nothing without a population capable of adopting it and creating with it. COVID-19 vaccines are a good example of a technology that depends on people's acceptance. This week, McKinsey explored how people in various industries and sectors relate to technology and the power of these interactions.

With Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in the hands of a workforce empowered with the skills needed to use them, an organization's digital-transformation journey can move from aspiration to reality.

A pivot to telemedicine, remote work, and other technologies helped a leader in pediatric medicine manage the onslaught of COVID-19. Boston Children's Hospital president and CEO Dr. Kevin Churchwell calls for more innovation to cope with a sharp rise in children and young adults with behavioral- and mental-health issues. This generation of kids is being reared under physical distancing, lockdowns, and school closures. Churchwell believes that those presenting with mental-health issues would benefit from a tech-enabled continuum of care that encompasses the family, the primary-care pediatrician, the school system, the hospital, and the state.

Sarah Bond, Microsoft's corporate vice president for game creator experience and ecosystem at Xbox, describes how recognizing that game playing is a fundamental human trait helped Microsoft create its "ubiquitous global gaming ecosystem." Investments in cloud gaming, the Game Pass subscription service, and cross-platform play allow gamers to participate anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Tulsa Remote, a program that enabled Tulsa, Oklahoma, to attract 1,300 remote workers to the area, also prioritizes the human need for connection. In addition to giving relocators $10,000, the program provides membership to a local coworking space and assists in finding housing. Events, both virtual and in-person, are intended to mitigate the potential isolation of remote work. The initiative has attracted 50,000 applicants and is making a meaningful impression on the local economy.

In a typical organization, only a specific department and designated functions are accountable for quality in design, development, operations, and even postmarket activities. But in a smart-quality organization, everyone owns quality. Pharmaceutical and medtech companies can create value by redesigning key quality processes along these principles.

Here are other key findings from our research this week:

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

COVID-19: Briefing note #86, January 5, 2022

Omicron demands renewed focus on familiar pandemic themes.

A new year is here, but COVID-19's latest surge feels so very last year-not to mention the year before that. To kick off 2022, McKinsey looked at issues that many people thought would have started to resolve as the virus died down, but which instead require renewed engagement. Topping our list this week are employee burnout and hits to tourism. But there is positive news as well: reports on the state of mobility and pharmaceuticals reflect that pandemic-inspired changes are leading some industries in new directions.

Compared with nonparents, employed parents are more likely to miss days of work because they are experiencing symptoms of burnout (exhibit). Companies need to understand what the compound pressures of employment and parenting during a pandemic are doing to these workers and consider a list of interventions to counteract their experience of burning the candle at both ends.

Women also are reporting higher-than-average rates of burnout. In a new episode of The McKinsey Podcast, senior partners Alexis Krivkovich and Lareina Yee discuss results from the recently released Women in the Workplace 2021 report. Forty-two percent of women report being burned out, a percentage that is higher than it was last year and higher than it is for men. Reasons include the fact that one in three women, and 60 percent of mothers with young children, spend five or more hours a day on housework and caregiving.

Early January is when many of us go on a diet and re-up at the gym. Here's another tune-up option: take our "Can you turn attrition into attraction?" quiz to test how good you are at combatting burnout, rewarding employees in meaningful ways, and strengthening bonds with your teams.

Our " year in review" recap of 2021 highlights themes that many were hoping to leave behind, including the pandemic and the Great Resignation, as well as aspirations, such as inclusive growth and digital transformation, that will only grow in importance. The " year in images" collection showcases the most evocative art we published last year, while the " year in charts " collection tells visual stories about virus cases and vaccination rates, diversity targets and employee experiences, and how sustainable growth might be attained.

Another consequence of COVID-19 is the devastation wrought on tourism markets worldwide. We looked at a key US market and found that the financial impact of the pandemic on New York City is six times that of the September 11 attacks, costing the city $1.2 billion in lost tourism-related tax revenue. New York can reinvigorate its tourism industry by encouraging domestic travel and by reimagining business travel.

McKinsey reflected upon how the pandemic has affected mobility and where the sector is headed. Among the findings: half of the consumers in our recent Global COVID-19 Automotive & Mobility Consumer Survey stated a clear preference to travel less than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the forecasts: by 2035, in an accelerated scenario, the largest automotive markets in the world (that is, China, the European Union, and the United States) will be fully electric.

The pandemic has also reshaped the pharmaceuticals industry, and changes are still under way. We conducted a survey of senior executives in commercial roles at global pharma companies and found that more than 80 percent think that companies will fully embrace agile ways of working, and 66 percent believe that companies will move away from the traditional sales rep model because of restricted access, virtual interactions, and perceived low return on investment.

Here are some of this week's other key findings from our research:

Two books in our Author Talks series address the workplace issues so prevalent in our research from this past year. Joan C. Williams, distinguished professor of law and chair of the Hastings Foundation, discusses her latest book, Bias Interrupted: Creating Inclusion for Real and for Good (Harvard Business Review Press, November 2021). Jennifer Moss, Harvard Business Review contributor and nationally syndicated radio columnist, shares her recent work, The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It (Harvard Business Review Press, September 2021).

This briefing note was edited by Katy McLaughlin, a senior editor in the Southern California office.

For McKinsey's 2021 perspectives on the business impact of COVID-19, visit our archive of several dozen briefing notes published throughout the year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our latest perspectives on the coronavirus outbreak, the twin threats to lives and livelihoods, and how organizations can prepare for the next normal.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide 17 classroom 3 - resistance to change theories

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide 17 classroom 3 - resistance to change theories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The dramatic spread of COVID-19 has disrupted lives, livelihoods, communities and businesses worldwide.

Organizations around the world, including the Forum and its partners, are coming together and innovating to minimize the impact on public health and to limit disruptions to economies and supply chains.

Here are just some ways Forum partners, corporations and other organizations globally are fighting the pandemic. Updated on 25 June, 2020.

COVID-19 teaches Hong Kong invaluable lessons for business and future strategy

With still more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed daily (as of 24 June), Hong Kong SAR and its communities have been in need of support for several months.

Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum and leading financial market operator, HKEX, has contributed to the development of Hong Kong's financial markets, offered insights into building business sustainability during the pandemic, and supported the region's communities and underprivileged populations throughout the pandemic.

HKEX organized an emergency relief donation of HK$10 million to local communities and NGOs where the company operates (Hong Kong and London). From providing sanitisation packages to NGOs (including surgical masks and hand sanitizers) to offering hot food for families and the elderley, and providing a special call service for health consultations and short-term emotional counselling, the company invested in the wellbeing of underprivileged families and vulnerable groups.

Hospitals in Spain take the COVID-19 strain, but help is at hand

Doctors, nurses and general staff all make sure that hospitals are safe and effective places where people get the treatment they need. But as COVID-19 has spread, hospitals around the world have faced unprecedented strain.

In April, The Lancet advised that hospitals "must prepare for a surge in critically ill patients", and recent data has borne its warning out. On 15 June, data from South Carolina showed that in some areas, over 77% of hospital beds were occupied. In Spain, where the military has had to support national health services, reports from mid-June show there are 1,970 ICU beds in the Catalonia region's hospitals, 85% of which are occupied with 1,512 Covid-19 patients. This number of beds is triple the amount which were occupied at the beginning of June. In Barcelona's Hospital del Mar, for instance, the number of ICU beds increased from 24 to 92 due to COVID-19 over that time period.

One company easing the strain in Spain is the infrastructure and renewable energy firm Acciona, a World Economic Forum Partner. The company, which manages several hospitals in Spain, Mexico and Canada, has used 3D printers to manufacture 200 protective masks every week for healthcare professionals at the Infanta Sofia Hospital in Madrid. Additionally, Acciona has made 1 million disposable hairnets available to hospitals and health centres across Spain.

The company has looked beyond hospitals to support health workers battling coronavirus. In Madrid and Barcelona, 13 Room Mate hotels are housing health personnel, and Acciona is providing the cleaning service.

There is still much more work to be done in Spain to stop the spread of the virus. But in early June, the director of the Health Ministry's Coordination Center for Health Alerts, Fernando Simón, said: "Despite the fact that we are detecting more [suspected cases], we are continuing to see a downward trend."

Swiss company compares government responses to COVID-19, identifying the best policies for economic rebounds

Swiss company The Adecco Group, Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, has released their second iteration of a paper comparing government responses to the COVID-19 crisis, in order to determine which policies and decisions have led to the best economic outcomes.

Using select macro-economic indicators, the company compared 12 countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA) and their policy responses, including support measures for workers and businesses - to issue a set of recommendations to mitigate the COVID-19 impact and assist with the economic rebound.

The analysis found that keeping up economic activity is crucial - every week without economic activity exponentially increased the negative economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. Supporting employment is also crucial, and a focus on following through on getting financial support to businesses and individuals most in need. The May 2020 paper found businesses and workers in many countries had still not received the funds promised in their respective stimulus packages, reported in Adecco's first iteration paper in April 2020.

Overall, The Adecco Group's analysis found that Switzerland, Sweden and Germany performed best across the select macro-economic indicators. The analysis provides an in-depth comparison useful for businesses and governments, including policymakers worldwide to learn from and act upon.

The full paper, Comparing the outcome of Governments' response to Covid-19, is available in full for members of the Forum's COVID Action Platform, via our TopLink library.

Supporting mining communities hard-hit by lockdowns and COVID-19

In South Africa for example, this work includes providing water tanks to 69 villages and clinical training and PPE equipment to 70 local clinics. It also means providing 6,000 food parcels per month for three months to alleviate economic hardships brought by quarantine.

"We are doing all that we can to safeguard our people and their families from the spread of COVID-19, while also providing support to our host communities and countries where it's most needed," said Anglo American Chief Executive, Mark Cutifani. "Our direct response to address the effects of COVID-19 is tailored to the specific and most urgent needs of our host communities and countries, recognising their very different socio-economic factors," he added.

Ramping up COVID-19 testing to understand the full extent of the virus' spread in the U.S.

Testing for COVID-19 antibodies remains a priority around the world as governments, health centres and businesses continue to study the coronavirus pandemic.

Many patients who experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all rarely get tested, which has prompted experts to suggest there may be a high number of unreported cases. Scaling up antibody tests can provide a more accurate picture of the global situation and inform public health agencies who are designing national and international responses to the crisis.

German medical technology group Siemens Healthineers has said it will produce 50 million COVID-19 antibody tests per month, starting in June 2020, and that testing can begin immediately, with over one million tests already transported to health centres and laboratories across the U.S.

Siemens Healthineers, which has 52,000 employees, is majority owned by Siemens, a Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum.

The laboratory-based antibody test produced by the company has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after test data showed 100% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity.

The test is available on the company's high-throughput analyzers that can run over 440 tests in one hour and provide results in 10 minutes.

Companies commit to realising a Great Reset of capitalism

Business leaders have pledged to contribute their skills, networks and resources to shape the COVID-19 recovery and build back better.

The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare longstanding ruptures in our economies and societies, and created a social crisis. As part of wide-ranging response, the World Economic Forum launched this week its Great Reset initiative -- a commitment to build, jointly and urgently, the foundations of our economic and social system for a fairer, more sustainable and more resilient future. The Great Reset is also the theme of a unique twin summit - both in-person in Davos and virtually around the world - to be convened by the Forum in January 2021.

"To achieve a better outcome, the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies," said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

During the launch of the initiative world leaders, including HRH The Prince of Wales, discussed how a global energy transition is an essential piece of this puzzle. Forum Strategic Partner BP has committed to become a net zero company by 2050 and the company's CEO Bernard Looney reminded the audience that tackling climate change is an essential imperative which requires imagination from all stakeholders.

Companies can follow insights on how the world is recovering from COVID-19 to build a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future here. Businesses interested in learning about how their organizations can work in partnership with the World Economic Forum, and the Great Reset, are invited to contact us.

Life-saving logistics: how a cargo company is getting vaccines to people in need around the world

"Strong and efficient supply chains are essential to Gavi's work," said Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley. "With support from The UPS Foundation, we have in recent years been able to greatly enlarge and improve supply chains that Gavi-eligible countries rely on to deliver vaccines."

The UPS Foundation's contribution of $2 million in cash and US$1 million in services, combined with resources from the Gavi Matching Fund means a total of US$5 million will be used to support efforts that ensure vaccines reach vulnerable populations.

Joining hands for hygiene: how a chemical, a mining and a logistics company are helping hospitals in South Africa fight COVID19

In South Africa four major hospitals in Gauteng province have received bulk supplies of hand sanitiser after three major corporates worked in partnership with clinical managers at the hospitals to fully understand how sanitizer can effectively protect medical staff and patients.

"We are pleased that our internally produced sanitisers will provide these hospitals with hand disinfection hygiene support to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading to frontline medical staff, patients and visitors," said Thabiet Booley, Senior Vice President of Sasol's Base Chemicals division.

Private sector has critical role to play in ramping up Coronavirus testing

Kelly emphasised that businesses will need to quickly and accurately identify infections and make sure employees, contractors and suppliers are isolated in order to ensure business continuity. Putting testing regimes in place acts in the interests of the company but also benefits the wider community. Kelly told the virtual gathering that companies must ramp up testing as employees begin to return to work and said in the U.S. 5-10 million people will need to be tested in a single day, significantly more than current levels.

Employee benefits changing in the UK as employers prepare for a new "back-to-work" era - and not all for good

Leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, and Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, Willis Towers Watson, has revealed two in five companies in the UK have made, or are planning to make significant changes to their employment benefit schemes as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

From sick leave costs expected to increase, to income protection and healthcare benefits changing - a third of employers also reported they were likely to revise their healthcare strategies for 2021, the company's survey found.

While the survey showed many companies looking to enhance employee benefits (from wellbeing programmes to mental health and stress management services) - the research also found some benefits were likely to be reduced. The reportedly most likely to be reduced included annual leave (8%), retirement benefits (5%), healthcare benefits (4%) and sick leave (4%). Willis Towers Watson says the results show a divergence in how the pandemic has impacted companies in the UK.

Alongside the survey on employee benefits - Willis Towers Watson also examined the impact of COVID-19 on employee wellbeing, specifically in the UK. The research found job security and instability are affecting financial and emotional wellbeing, with emotional intelligence the most critical skill for managers currently. The company has found the rules around the social experience of work are also being rewritten.

Companies can read the full report here.

How to succeed amid uncertainty: considerations for companies dealing with the coronavirus crisis

PwC, Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, has created a free COVID-19 Navigator, a digital assessment to help organisations understand the impact of COVID-19 on their business and assess their readiness to respond.

The digital tool helps companies understand where they stand as they respond to COVID-19 in the areas of crisis management and response; workforce; operations and supply chain; finance and liquidity; tax and trade; and strategy and brand.

In a number of countries, PwC is helping set up and administer government schemes to support businesses and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with financial donations to charities, PwC has donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and medical centres.

The company has also encouraged its staff members who have medical training to volunteer in their local healthcare systems. Other staff are engaged in community support and various volunteer programmes and outreach, including feeding the homeless and getting food to key workers.

Testing for COVID-19 is essential - this company is making it possible at home

However, the logistics can be challenging. How can people who suspect they have COVID-19 access a health facility that provides accurate tests in a safe environment?

Individuals confirm an appointment through an online portal, then a medical professional wearing protective gear will arrive at the person's address in a car provided by Yandex. They will take a nose or mouth swab and securely pack the sample. The analysis will then take place in a partner laboratory, and at-risk residents will receive the result via email in one to three days following the test.

A prolonged global recession, job losses and another pandemic: the COVID-19 risk report reveals top concerns for business.

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.7 million cases have been confirmed and more than 315,000 people have died due to the virus.

To help all businesses globally understand the emerging risks generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has today (Tuesday, 19 May) launched the COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications.

The report, a special edition which builds on the Forum's annual Global Risks Report, examines the views of nearly 350 senior risk professionals, who took part in the COVID-19 Risks Perceptions Survey. They were asked to assess 31 risks within three categories: most likely for the world, most concerning for the world and most worrisome for companies.

Two-thirds of respondents identified a prolonged global recession as a top concern for business. One-half identified bankruptcies and industry consolidation, failure of industries to recover and a disruption of supply chains as crucial worries.

Companies are also concerned about the geopolitical disruptions to business, with more than 40% of respondents rating tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods among the most worrisome impact from COVID-19. The third most worrisome aspect for companies, is an increase in cyberattacks and data fraud - according to 50% of respondents - as well as the breakdown of IT infrastructure and networks, a top concern for companies, according to nearly 30% of respondents.

Collaboration between the public and private sectors to date has helped solve some of the most urgent business and economic challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and they will become increasingly more important as the world rebuilds and adapts to a 'new normal'.

COVID-19: how acting quickly helped UAE contain the pandemic

The world's spending habits: how have they been impacted by coronavirus? On this week's COVID Action Platform call, the private sector offers an analysis for the future.

As discussed on this week's Forum COVID Action Platform virtual meeting (13 May), the world's economy is moving into a post-lockdown phase in some geographies. But how has consumer spending changed since the start of COVID-19 and what effects have worldwide lockdowns had on the economy?

Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga joined the conversation to offer his analysis of consumer spending, including his prognosis for future changes to the economy.

Mastercard, in surveying the world's spending, says the economic process is progressing through four phases: containment, stabilization, normalization and growth. Banga said most of the economies around the world are currently in the stabilization phase. Depending on how economies proceed to open, movement may occur back and forth within the four phases.

Banga also stressed the importance of stakeholder capitalism and his learnings from working with the Forum about engaging multistakeholders in a variety of ways, to get lives and livelihoods going in the correct direction.

Companies from across the globe join the Forum's COVID Action Platform virtual meetings each week, and hear from world experts across the public and private sectors on the latest COVID-19 developments and their implications. Businesses are invited to join the Platform here.

WiFi brings lifesaving connectivity to emergency healthcare centres battling COVID pandemic

Reliable WiFi is more than a convenience; it is essential for delivering vital services in hospitals where many lifesaving devices are now dependent on wireless connectivity.

COVID-19 has put hospitals and health systems around the world under great strain. To treat the increased number of emergency cases, many countries have built pop-up clinics and temporary hospital facilities. In the UK, London's ExCeL exhibition centre - which usually hosts lifestyle shows and business conferences - has been converted into a temporary hospital with capacity for 4,000 beds with oxygen and ventilators. As well as needing medical equipment, doctors, nurses and disinfectant, these healthcare facilities need to be connected online.

Having recognised that these facilities need networking infrastructure to operate effectively, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has donated USD50-million worth of secure connectivity kits which will be used in healthcare facilities in the US, Canada and some European and Asian countries.

The global response to COVID-19 has also caused many businesses to turn their attentions to employees working from home and other remote locations. Technology companies like HPE are supporting this shift by providing secure, remote work options to help businesses around the world support their employees and operations during this crisis.

"Our infrastructure solutions, which provide industry-leading remote management, security, and automation capabilities, help businesses quickly deliver virtual workspaces to their remote staff," said Gerald Kleyn, vice president at HPE.

Building resilience: new COVID-19 scenario planning helps companies plan their response to the pandemic

Salesforce, Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum and member of our COVID Action Platform, is helping businesses globally plan their response journey to COVID-19, through a variety of scenario planning resources covering the next 18-36 months.

As the coronavirus crisis continues to evolve, leaders have been challenged to interpret developments, regain control of the situation, make tough decisions, and guide their employees as they respond to the rapidly moving pandemic. The next phase of returning to work is bringing new challenges for businesses - especially with many uncertainties around the development of a vaccine, or potentially a second wave of the virus.

To help companies continue to navigate the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus, Salesforce has created a framework of critical uncertainties that highlight the key public health, economic, and sociopolitical dimensions of the crisis. Within the framework, three broadly applicable scenarios for the next 18-36 months are described, which show how the interplay of these critical uncertainties could result in different "curves" for the impact of the virus and the loss of GDP.

The 1-3-year scenario resource answers key questions for businesses about the near future. How will the virus behave? How long will the health and economic crises last? When will we move from crises mode back to work? What will going back to work look like in the new normal?

Companies can prepare for the future with a variety of resources, including the COVID-19 response framework, free access to a COVID-19 data hub, and the scenario planning materials.

The heart of resilient leadership: a new guide for senior executives on responding to COVID-19 teaches companies to embrace the long view.

A guide for CEO's to successfully guide their companies through the COVID-19 crisis has been released by Deloitte, a Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum.

Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen has outlined five fundamental qualities of resilient leadership that he hopes will help other CEO's ensure their companies emerge stronger from the impact of coronavirus.

Renjen believes a crisis plays out over three time frames: responding, recovering and thriving - and his practical guide helps senior executives navigate the different seasons they find their organizations in.

For example, in regards to putting the mission first, Deloitte identified a number of key actions for leaders to take based on their analysis of the leading practices of multinational companies in other health crises. Launching and sustaining a crisis command centre, supporting talent and strategy, maintaining business continuity and financing, and staying engaged with customers are among the findings.

With the right approach, Deloitte believes the COVID-19 crisis can "become an opportunity for companies to create even more value and positive societal impact, rather than just bounce back to the status quo." Read more of their advice here.

Companies can practically respond to the coronavirus crisis by combining their efforts with other organizations through the Forum's COVID Action Platform. Companies are invited to apply to join the Platform.

Chinese e-commerce giant fights COVID-19 by delivering essentials and spraying disinfectant

Several drone delivery corridors were put in place replacing hours-long drives with a 2km flight that could be completed in just 10 minutes.

The company, a Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, developed a drone route to Baiyang Lake in Hebei province. The route, which usually saw delivery of packages to the village by boat, was suspended due to the outbreak of the virus. With the drone program, the drones dropped parcels at a fixed point - so customers were able to collect them without human-to-human contact.

JD has also strengthened protective measures against COVID-19. In Inner Mongolia, the company deployed two drones to support critical disinfection procedures by spraying areas in the High-Tech Industrial Development Zone of Ordos City.

Interactive maps keep air, ocean and road cargo moving in a new COVID-19 world.

Along with the maps, Agility provides general updates on cargo capacity for road, air and ocean travel. For example, regarding global ocean freight capacity, the company notes the biggest current impact of COVID-19 is on space and container availability throughout the world.

Agility says as the virus spreads to poorer countries with weaker infrastructure, the need for humanitarian assistance will increase. The company believes logistics expertise is key to an effective humanitarian response to this global crisis. Real-time global updates are available here.

Carmakers are changing tack to support doctors, care facilities and refugees globally

Volkswagen Group is driving a global response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Doctors, nursing homes and hospitals across Germany are being provided with medical equipment worth around €40 million - from breathing masks to disinfectant, gloves, thermometers, protective goggles and suits.

Volkswagen Group is sourcing the materials in China, with distribution in Germany handled by public authorities. The company is also using its own facilities to produce medical equipment for areas in need -3D printing mountings for face shields, among other things.

In late April, Volkswagen reopened its factory after one of the longest shutdowns in its history. It says it remains focused on the health of its workers, as it goes back to work alongside many other companies across Europe.

Over €7 billion pledged in the global fight against COVID-19

European governments have pledged over €7 billion in initial funding, as part of a global effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Money pledged today will be used to support countries and organisations around the world which are working together to ensure that life-saving tools developed in response to coronavirus are universally available and affordable.

Image: World Economic Forum / Mattias N

European Commission President von der Leyen, who is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, said "The response to this pandemic can only be global. We need cooperation between governments across the world, scientists, civil society, business, citizens."

In recognition of the role the Forum has played in the formation of The Global Fund, GAVI and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, delivered pre-recorded remarks during the EU-hosted event.

"Every business is challenged today to contribute with its knowhow and with its resources to the solution of this challenge, of this problem, which is of utmost significance for the future of humankind," Professor Schwab said. "We would like to assure you, that business as far as the Forum can mobilize it, is behind this initiative and we will support you in any way we can."

The World Health Organization (WHO) and global health organisations continue to call for action to develop fast and equitable access to safe, quality, effective and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines against coronavirus.

New grant allows for 3 million tests for coronavirus in Denmark, helping reboot the economy and ensuring safety of citizens

Testing is one of the greatest tools in understanding and managing the coronavirus pandemic. Being tested allows an individual to know if they are infected, or if they are healthy and can go about everyday activities, including helping others in the community in need.

A component of the de-escalation strategy in Denmark is to ramp up testing significantly. The testing is an add-on to the existing diagnostic services offered across the country, ensuring that any person who wants to be tested can be.

Through the unique collaboration between public and private actors, the new TestCenter Danmark has been built and prepared for operation in less than one month.

Partner of the World Economic Forum, Novo Nordisk Foundation has taken an innovative approach since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, to invest millions into research and development that will prepare Denmark for future viral epidemics.

A new letter urges companies to join the Forum's Therapeutics Accelerator for COVID-19.

The speed and the scale of the COVID-19 virus is unprecedented and the economic disruption it has caused is unparalleled. As daunting as it may seem, experts say the world can only fully get back to business when we've addressed the health concerns and when there are effective remedies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

That is why the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mastercard, Wellcome, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Dell Foundation, and the U.K. Government have invested in the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to identify and scale treatments to counter the virus.

Image: REUTERS/Edgar Su - RC2PDF9MP5J0

A letter today issued by Ajay Banga, CEO Mastercard, Bill Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum is calling on companies globally to join the collaborative funding effort by the private sector, philanthropic organizations, and governments to speed up the research and development process and to make the results available to all.

David Rubenstein says how businesses plan to bounce back from a very deep recession - on the COVID Action Platform call

David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group, told the Forum's COVID Action Platform Virtual Meeting this week it would take a long time to get through the very deep recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Rubenstein said there was a word between recession and depression that hasn't been invented yet - that is probably the most appropriate to explain the challenge the business world is facing.

Rubenstein told COVID Action Platform members about the business response to the recession caused by coronavirus - which includes cost-cutting, taking care of employees and working to save what they have. Coming out of the recession phase, Rubenstein said businesses are likely to use fewer employees than before, and that employees will travel less, using more digital means instead.

Yan Bao Charity Foundation donates more than 300,000 USD worth of life-saving health equipment to WHO response

Having connected to the WHO Emergency Response effort through the Forum's Covid Action Platform, the Yan Bao Foundation, which was created by the Baofeng Energy Group, delivered 20,000 masks and 10,000 quality certified suits to the WHO logistics hub in Dubai in April.

In response to unprecedented demand and severe disruptions to the global supply chain, the WHO's Supply Chain Inter-Agency Coordination Cell (SCICC) has established a supply working group to streamline procurement of critical items facing global shortage. Requests for supply of the critical equipment is then consolidated at a country level through COVID-19 coordination mechanisms, ensuring that the equipment reaches those facing the greatest need.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University announce landmark agreement for COVID-19 vaccine

The agreement will see the development and distribution of the University's potential recombinant adenovirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2.

In a recent interview with the World Economic Forum, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot also called on companies to give practical support, not just money, to fight COVID-19. He said governments needed help with their supply chains, capabilities, skills and expertise - and that it remains crucial for companies to partner with others in order to scale their efforts.

Mass production of ventilators begins in Turkey - a move crucial to fighting the pandemic locally

Koç Holding, Partner of the World Economic Forum and Turkey's largest investment holding company, has mobilized its assets in the fight against coronavirus.

Arçelik, a Koç Holding subsidiary and leading consumer durables manufacturer in Europe, is undertaking the mass production of life-saving mechanical ventilators to help the country avoid possible shortages (Turkey is currently reported to have around 17,000 ventilators in its public hospitals.)

Working with the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Turkish Ministry of Health, the company designed and tested the first prototype, and has begun mass production with a team of 120 world-class Turkish engineers working together under quarantine conditions, with no visitors allowed to enter production areas. Their goal is to produce 5,000 units by the end of May. The first 100 units were delivered to hospitals by April 20, only 14 days after the consortium started its collaboration.

Along with this initiative, Koç Holding, a partner of the Forum's COVID Action Platform, has mobilized its two automotive manufacturers, Ford Otosan, JV with Ford, and TOFAŞ, JV with Fiat, to address the need for critical medical supplies in hospitals, free of charge. This includes producing protective face shields and waterproof protective gowns, and building biological sampling cabins and intubation cabins.

As of April 28, there are 114.653 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkey, and 2.992 deaths. The ventilators will provide essential respiratory support to patients in intensive care.

Mahindra Group tells businesses the stakeholder principle is absolutely essential in fighting coronavirus - live on the Forum's COVID Action Platform.

Mahindra Group has endorsed the Forum's set of Stakeholder Principles to manage the economic impacts from the coronavirus emergency, saying togetherness and innovation are the ways we can combat coronavirus and work towards a global recovery.

World's leading 3D printing manufacturers rapidly respond to COVID-19 as a community: providing ventilators, masks, swabs, face shields and more.

The world's leading 3D printing manufacturers - including HP, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Royal DSM and others - have come together through the Forum's 3D Printing COVID-19 Rapid Response Initiative to address equipment shortages and rising medical demands due to the ongoing pandemic.

The Forum's rapid response initiative has created a community of companies manufacturing 3D products to meet global needs.

Carbon and its partners, in the US, are producing PPE for medical workers and patient sampling swabs. Linde plc is offering combined 3D printing (metal and plastic, design and software) and medical equipment capabilities in Germany and the US. In Italy, Roboze is printing in-house and with its partners - valves, adapters, connectors, splitters, face shields and durable thermoforming tools for faster manufacturing of N95 masks.

Where there are global needs for specific products or services, from ventilators and respirator components to hands-free door openers, masks and mask components, swabs or face shields - the Forum community has published lists of which companies can provide specific items - making it easier to access and provide the equipment needed around the world.

3D printing companies, communities and platforms are invited to join the Forum's initiative by applying here.

To predict and prevent COVID-19 transmission, Telenor is harnessing mobility data

Governments around the world are enforcing lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. In major cities this is particularly challenging with families suddenly confined to small apartments for weeks on end.

"Knowledge about a population's travel pattern is vital to understanding how an epidemic spreads throughout a country and thus the population," says Kenth Engø-Monsen, senior researcher at Telenor Research.

Mobile phones automatically connect to the nearest base station and these connections leave a location trace. This anonymized location data gets extracted from more than 8,100 base stations across the country and aggregated every six hours powering a dynamic map.

The success of this approach largely depends on engaging the right people in the healthcare sector to make sense of the aggregated data. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) added anonymized mobility data to its epidemics model before making informed recommendations to the government.

This work is scalable beyond Norway, and Telenor is working with other Nordic authorities with a view to rolling out similar big data projects in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

3D printing and air-bridges: Airbus responds to COVID-19

Airbus is employing its fleet of aircraft as well as its industrial resources to support governments fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is flying millions of facemasks and thermometers from China into Europe so health workers and caregivers have the resources they need to work safely and sustainably.

In March, multiple Airbus flights transported millions of masks from China to the company HQ in Toulouse, France. Hundreds of thousands of these masks were then transferred to Getafe, Spain. Seventy percent of the masks were donated to the French and Spanish governments, while the rest are being distributed to Airbus teams in France and Spain.

The company, which is partnering with the World Economic Forum's COVID Action Platform, continued this support through regular flights between China and Europe to deliver millions more masks to hospitals and public services across France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

Technology and engineering businesses are collaborating with Airbus in response to the UK government's call for help. A consortium of companies, which includes Rolls-Royce and Ford, is aiming to deliver 10,000 medical ventilators to help save lives.

In Spain, Airbus has repurposed 20 3D printers to produce thousands of the visor frames that are a crucial component in protective facemasks. Thousands of these frames have already been donated.

Brewer fights coronavirus pandemic by turning alcohol into hygiene products

Leading global brewer AB InBev is harnessing its key ingredient as a weapon in the fight against COVID-19. Working with partners, the company is both packaging the disinfectant alcohol alone or transforming it into hand sanitizer.

The brewer, which has been making beer for over 600 years, is donating both disinfectant alcohol liquid and over 1 million bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectant to hospitals and front-line health workers in more than 20 countries.

The South African Breweries (SAB), which has been owned by AB InBev since 2016, is providing alcohol to help manufacturers produce more hand sanitizer. SAB's trucks are transporting the product to the most remote parts of the country.

In Europe, 50,000 liters of disinfectant alcohol are being produced using the surplus of alcohol generated when making alcohol-free beers. An extra 26,000 bottles of hand sanitizer are also being provided to pharmacies and front-line workers across Europe.

AB InBev, which has 170,000 employees based in nearly 50 countries, is also teaming up with local governments in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador to support communities hardest hit by the pandemic. The company's fleets of trucks are helping deliver essential food and medical supplies to areas in need.

In Mexico, Grupo Modelo, which was acquired by AB InBev in 2012, is expanding their Academia de Meseros Modelo to help 4,000 waiters upskill using on-line training.

Sanofi, GSK working together to develop COVID-19 vaccine

Sanofi will contribute its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, which is based on recombinant DNA technology, or the practice of joining together of DNA molecules from different species. For its part, GSK will contribute its proven pandemic adjuvant technology to the collaboration.

An adjuvant is added to some vaccines to enhance the immune response, and has been shown to create a stronger and longer lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone.

"As the world faces this unprecedented global health crisis, it is clear that no one company can go it alone," Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson said.

The companies have said they would make any vaccine that is developed through the collaboration affordable to the public and through mechanisms that offer fair access for everyone around the world.

$8 billion needed for Covid-19 research and development: Wellcome Trust launches Covid-Zero Initiative

Tens of billions more will be needed over the coming year to produce and procure the new medicines as soon as they are developed. Much of this funding will need to come from governments, and the European Commission is galvanizing donors through a virtual pledging conference on May 4.

Speaking to leaders during a recent COVID Action Platform call, Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar said COVID-Zero was an opportunity for companies to advance the science which will eventually reduce business disruption. Since launching COVID-Zero, Wellcome has opened discussions with business donors keen to invest millions of dollars. Mastercard and Citadel are among those who have already stepped up to fund research and development, the Trust said.

Donated funds will directly help efforts to find drugs and improve tests, through CEPI, the organisation which develops vaccines against epidemic threats, and through the WHO, which plays a critical coordinating role. There are few better investments any business can make today.

"Those with the vision and imagination to finance this research will be able to say to their employees, to their customers, to their communities, that they did more than treat all their stakeholders well during the greatest global crisis since 1945," said Mark Henderson of Wellcome. "They will also be able to say that they were a critical part of the solution."

To get involved with COVID-Zero, please contact the team.

World's biggest soap company delivers free sanitizer, soap, bleach and food worth €100 million to areas in need - at speed

In an interview with the Forum, Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, said it leveraged its product portfolio to fight the COVID crisis, using the platform to partner with like-minded companies.

Marmot said speed and agility were two of the most important factors the COVID Action Platform offered, to get the donations to the areas most in need.

Until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, soap remains the best first line of defence, the company noted. Unilever has launched initiatives in the US, India, China, UK, Netherlands, Italy and other countries around the world, with teams manufacturing and distributing millions of bars of free soap.

Giving advice and guidance to other companies, Marmot encouraged businesses to look out for their employees and their mental health, and to be aware of the true influence they can have in using their brands to reinforce government safety messages.

Organizations globally are invited to partner with the World Economic Forum's COVID Action Platform, which ensures global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community in response to the spread of COVID-19.

These plasma therapies could treat high-risk COVID-19 patients

The treatment can only be produced at scale if the alliance can access plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 or who have been vaccinated against the virus, once a vaccine is developed. These donors who have recovered from coronavirus have developed antibodies that could mitigate the severity of illness in COVID-19 patients and perhaps even prevent it. Once these antibodies are transferred to a new patient, it is likely that person's immune system will respond to the infection and consequently boost their recovery.

As the necessary plasma is unlikely to come from current plasma donors, Takeda will start by producing the therapy in an isolated area at its site in Georgia.

"Plasma-derived therapies are critical, life-saving medicines that thousands of people with rare and complex diseases rely on every day around the world," said Dr. Chris Morabito, Takeda's Head of Research and Development, Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit.

Takeda is currently in discussions with national health agencies and healthcare partners in the US, Asia, and Europe to step up the pace and push the research forward.

Across West Africa companies are convening to fight COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact around the world, with the outbreak now also beginning to spread in Africa. As of 9 April, the number of cases on the continent had surpassed 10,000. As the virus spreads, experts are seeking way to reduce the impact on vulnerable communities in West Africa, a region where healthcare capacity is limited but major lessons were learnt during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Companies active across West Africa are sharing information and co-ordinating their responses through the West Africa Private Sector Coronavirus Platform (WAPSCON19) which is focusing on the livelihoods and health of the wider community as well as keeping employees healthy and safe and businesses running. The leading steel and mining company Arcelor Mittal, is convening private sector players, including Sierra Rutile in Sierra Leone, to play an active role in supporting the region.

The structure of WAPSCON19 allows each country to contribute and key members in Liberia and Ghana have already volunteered to chair discussions. One senior private sector executive per country will lead the work nationally, and host calls and initiate cooperation with other businesses operating in the same country. The exercise aims to create local capacity to respond to the threat of Covid-19, under the umbrella of "country hubs".

If your organization is ready to play a leading role in fighting coronavirus request access to the COVID Action Platform here.

Mastercard, Wellcome, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launch a COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator - scaled up through the COVID Action Platform

Mastercard, a Strategic Partner of the Forum, announced the initiative, which will also involve the World Health Organization, governments, and the private sector, as well as global regulatory and policy-setting institutions will evaluate and accelerate new and repurposed drugs and biologics to treat patients with COVID-19.

Currently, there are no broad-spectrum antivirals or immunotherapies available for the fight against emerging pathogens, and none approved for use on COVID-19.

The Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust are each contributing up to $50 million, and the Mastercard Impact Fund has committed up to $25 million for the initial work of the accelerator. The project will ensure an end-to-end focus, from drug pipeline development to manufacturing and distribution. The project has already awarded an initial $20 million in grants to three institutions. By sharing research and resources and coordinating investments - this multistakeholder partnership can accelerate research and solutions to COVID-19.

Wipro rolls out COVID response focused on humanitarian aid

Global information technology and business services company Wipro Ltd and Azim Premji Foundation have together committed ₹1125 crore (approximately $147.4 million) towards mitigating the health crisis which has arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company, which is headquartered in Bangalore, India, pledged to roll out a wide-ranging response to the virus on-the-ground, with a focus on immediate humanitarian aid. The company also specified they are committed to augmenting healthcare capacity and treating those affected by the deadly coronavirus.

"These resources will help enable the dedicated medical and service fraternity in the frontline of the battle against the pandemic and in mitigating its wide-ranging human impact, particularly on the most disadvantaged of our society," Wipro said in a statement which characterised the COVID-19 pandemic as the most significant threat confronting modern society.

Standard Chartered injects big liquidity into the fight against COVID-19

The Group has already provided $25 million to support emergency relief in countries where the number of COVID-19 cases has soared and healthcare facilities are under significant pressure. The additional $25 million will help communities and businesses recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

In addition, the Group is committing up to $1 billion in loans, import/export financing and working capital for certain companies fighting COVID-19, and support industry leaders who are adapting production resources to help fight the pandemic. Companies in the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare providers are set to benefit most from these funds, but Standard Chartered will also support non-medical companies that have responded to the crisis by adding capability to their manufacturing plants. Goods within this scope include ventilators, face masks, protective equipment and sanitisers.

Coca-Cola re-deploys resources to make face shields for those on the COVID-19 frontline in North America

Across North America, the Coca-Cola Company is re-deploying its resources to meet the needs of those on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight.

In Boston, the company has provided logistics and supply chain support to a not-for-profit, to help produce face shields for frontline health workers.

More broadly, the Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded $13.5 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations responding to the coronavirus in North America and Canada. The latest grants support economically disadvantaged communities - with one grant enabling 200 food banks to feed vulnerable populations. Other grants are funding childcare for emergency health workers, mental health and counselling, and other emergency aid resources.

The Coca-Cola Company, a Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, has also donated grants globally, namely to China and Italy. The company, like many others, is continuing to monitor the crisis in order to offer additional support as needed.

Top tech firm pledges $225 million in battle against COVID-19

Global technology leader Cisco Systems is committing $225 million to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds will support healthcare, education, government responses and relevant technology. Cisco is distributing a portion of this commitment through the United Nations Foundation's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which is supporting the World Health Organization's work on managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

As the global workforce adjusts to working remotely, Cisco technology is securing over 2.2 million people online, including those on the front lines of the crisis. Its video conferencing platform Webex has facilitated virtual meetings for the French, Canadian, German and Colombian governments as they coordinate policy responses to manage the coronavirus crisis.

"Cisco must, and will, do even more to help others respond to this global pandemic," said Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins. He has joined over 30 CEOs from various technology companies in Silicon Valley to pledge support for local organizations providing support to vulnerable communities.

'These vaccines are the exit strategy' - CEPI calls on business leaders to dedicate funds to solve COVID-19, not just cope

The CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Richard Hatchett, has called on business leaders to allocate a small proportion of the funds being used to cope with COVID-19 to also help solve the pandemic.

In a high-level COVID Action Platform Virtual Meeting hosted by the World Economic Forum, Hatchett said for businesses the shift in funding would be "the best investment your companies will ever make."

CEPI was launched in 2017 at the Forum's Annual Meeting. The organization has invested nearly $30 million in eight COVID-19 vaccine projects to date. These included four rapid response programmes and four programmes as a result of a Call for Proposals, which invited funding applications for proven technology that could be used to rapidly develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

There are no guarantees of success, but early estimates suggest that safe and effective vaccines may be available for broader use within the next 12-18 months. With further funding, CEPI would be able to speed up its efforts to develop a vaccine ready for use.

CEPI estimates that it will cost the world collectively $2 billion to advance three vaccine candidates through to large-scale clinical trials. To date, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and the UK have provided around $660 million towards this goal - but more support is crucial.

In addition to further funding, partnerships are crucial to scaling up vaccine development. Businesses are invited to work together on the COVID Action Platform, partnering with a range of multistakeholder organizations including CEPI, the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum to help solve the coronavirus crisis.

Funding for ventilators, testing kits, and a new quarantine facility provide free care to COVID-19 patients in India

Infosys, Strategic Partner of the Forum, has dedicated INR 100 crore in funding for hospital capacity treatment, ventilators, testing kits and protective gear for frontline health workers to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 across India.

Infosys Foundation has also partnered with Narayana Health City in Bengaluru to launch a 100-room quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients. The facility will benefit patients in need in the most vulnerable sections of society - with regular monitoring from doctors, nurses and essential medication provided free of charge.

The Foundation is also working to ensure better access to food and nutrition for the underprivileged in India, who are among the hardest hit by the crisis. Twenty-one day food packages currently being distributed include staples like rice, lentils, cooking oil and other essentials.

Infosys Foundation says these are unprecedented times that require every section of society to rise to the challenge.At the time of writing, there are more than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 in India.

50 million meals and local humanitarian support - PepsiCo responds to coronavirus

In North America, PepsiCo is increasing access for out-of-school children to food, funding medical services and providing financial support for out-of-work restaurant workers.

In Europe, efforts are centred on the distribution of meals, healthcare equipment and transportation to support the most vulnerable groups in society, while boosting local health and relief systems where countries are in lockdown and hospitals are struggling with capacity.

Meal distribution, strengthening local food bank capabilities and helping to alleviate hunger in vulnerable communities is the focus in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Rim.

The Forum is galvanizing the business community for collective action in response to the coronavirus crisis through its COVID Action Platform. Companies globally are invited to join the platform and scale their response efforts to the pandemic.

World Economic Forum guides businesses in their response to COVID-19 - encouraging bold leadership and solidarity

As countries continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses need to respond to urgent concerns from their workforces around safety and support.

Most employers are putting in place new measures for their workforces rapidly - often with no previous comparable experiences.

To help guide chief human resource officers and other business leaders through this unfolding crisis, the World Economic Forum published The Workforce Principles for the COVID-19 Pandemic in collaboration with Willis Towers Watson.

"This crisis presents an opportunity to take bold actions and show leadership and solidarity," said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. "Responsible employers can apply these principles and guidelines to better balance short-term crisis measures against the medium- and long-term objectives."

These actions can include protecting salaries and benefits, as well as providing learning opportunities to make progress against reskilling and workforce-transformation objectives. Such an approach enables organizations to earn the trust of employees and unlock the discretionary effort needed to move the organization forward in turbulent times.

Local investment for the United States ramps up as the infection rate climbs

The company's US $12.5 million donation is being invested at a local level - on response funds awarded to non-profit organizations and those working at the frontline of the outbreak in communities in the US.

LEGO prioritizes the critical needs of children during the coronavirus crisis

LEGO, a partner of the World Economic Forum, has launched two initiatives to support children around the world during the COVID-19 crisis - from the most vulnerable in refugee camps and war-torn countries, to children experiencing quarantine in urban areas.

The LEGO Foundation will donate US $50 million to ensure children, particularly those most affected by the COVID-19 crisis, continue to have access to learning through play. They will reach children in emergency situations with essential supplies, ensuring education and play across communities most in need.

The second initiative is a new website which encourages families worldwide to connect to play-based learning across social media. The hope is that families and children can connect online via their free site to share creativity and play ideas, learn from LEGO designers and help children to continue building life-long skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and developing new forms of fun while away from school. The initiative also aims to alleviate stress on parents during this unprecedented event.

UNESCO reports most governments around the world have temporarily closed education institutions - affecting more than 80% of the world's school population.

Support for frontline healthcare workers & a commitment to supply one billion vaccines globally

The funds will be invested to support doctors, nurses, midwives and community health workers treating patients worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting health workers is a legacy of the company - in the early 1900s, Johnson & Johnson helped limit the spread of the Spanish flu by introducing the epidemic mask.

The company has also this week (30 March) announced its goal to scale up manufacturing capacity to supply one billion vaccines worldwide for emergency pandemic use, with the first batches of a COVID-19 vaccine potentially available for emergency use in early 2021.

Companies worldwide are investing funds, innovating, and providing resources and manpower to fight COVID-19. Read about a range of multistakeholder projects launched via the Forum's COVID Action Platform.

P&G to produce 45,000 litres of hand sanitizer weekly

As demand for hand sanitizer around the world has increased, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has responded by installing new production lines in five manufacturing sites around the world. When fully operational, the company will produce 45,000 litres per week, and most of this supply will go to hospitals, health authorities and relief organizations.

One of the world's leading consumer goods companies, P&G is also providing product donations and financial support to communities fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has committed contributions of product and in-kind support that exceed $15 million.

$800 million commitment from Google helps WHO, governments, small-to-mid sized businesses and frontline health workers

Google has stepped up its response to the coronavirus pandemic, pledging a total of $800 million to support small- and medium-sized businesses, governments, health organizations and health workers fighting COVID-19.

After announcing an initial $25 million in advertising grants last month, the company has now increased its grant commitment to $250 million - specifically for the World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 100 government agencies globally to provide critical information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As part of their total commitment, $20 million in advertising grants will be given to community financial institutions and NGOs to run public service announcements and provide other resources for small-to-medium-sized businesses. Another initiative is a $200 million investment fund, which will support NGOs and banks worldwide to give small businesses access to capital.

Google has also created a website dedicated to COVID-19 help and resources - ensuring safety and prevention tips reach people in need. The company says coronavirus is taking a devastating toll on lives and communities. Its commitment will help address some of the challenges globally.

Nestlé provides emergency help - donating food, medical nutrition products, bottled water & CHF 10 million to countries in greatest need

Nestlé has stepped up its humanitarian efforts in the response to COVID-19 by partnering with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to provide urgent help to emergency services, caregivers, and to strengthen health systems.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is a global problem and consequently we are offering help on the ground everywhere, drawing on our extensive presence and experience in 187 countries. We applaud the relentless efforts of the millions of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and admire their determination to make a difference on the ground."
- Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé

Nestlé has immediately made a donation of CHF 10 million for countries most in need, and will deploy available logistics capacities to support the needs of IFRC in countries around the world.

Millions of face masks donated to the frontline in the US and Europe

Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple has announced this week that the company has sourced, procured and is donating 10 million masks to the medical community in the United States, and millions more for the European regions hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with frontline health employees, Apple has recognized and thanked essential workers across the supply chain - from warehouse and delivery workers to those stocking supermarket shelves - for their tireless efforts to deliver vital services in the face of COVID-19.

Other major tech companies globally have also pledged to donate face masks as a frontline defence against coronavirus. It is one example of how organizations are mobilizing cooperation and business support for the COVID-19 response.

HP CEO calls on companies and business leaders to step up their response to COVID-19

After HP committed to donating millions of dollars in technology and support to help students, families, and communities, President and CEO Enrique Lores issued a call-to-action to companies and business leaders globally to step forward and play a more significant role in overcoming obstacles during the coronavirus crisis, creating opportunities for the future.

It's incumbent on business leaders everywhere to commit to supporting employees at every level of their organization in the unpredictable weeks and months ahead.
- Enrique Lores, President & CEO, HP Inc.

Along with the support for employees, HP Inc is designing and producing essential parts for medical responders and hospitals, thanks to its 3D Printing team and Digital Manufacturing Partner Network.

If companies are struggling to know where to begin in harnessing their efforts to respond to the crisis - they are invited join the Forum's COVID Action Platform, to connect with other businesses, governments and civil society to respond to the world's greatest needs during the spread of COVID-19.

Healthcare financing comes to low-income countries fighting a virus that doesn't respect borders

The public-private global health partnership GAVI, founded at the World Economic Forum in 2000, protects people's health by increasing access to immunization in poor countries.

Today, GAVI is giving emerging economies the tools to fight Coronavirus by allowing certain low-income countries to reallocate 10% of grants to their COVID-19 response.

This will allow countries to improve hygiene and infection control training for health workers, boost infection control supplies, and increase laboratory testing until funds being allocated by the global community for the COVID response are available.

The organization is working with WHO, CEPI, World Bank, UNICEF and partners from across the healthcare industry to accelerate priority candidate COVID-19 vaccines.

Since its launch 20 years ago GAVI has contributed to the immunization of 760 million children, and saved more than 13 million lives.

Production of critical care products increases, helping patients diagnosed with COVID-19

Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology and Strategic Partner of the World Economic Forum, announced this week an increase in the production of critical care products and solutions to help diagnose and treat patients with coronavirus.

From vital signs monitors and portable ventilators to medical consumables to treat a broad range of respiratory conditions, a variety of products are needed to prepare for, respond to and ensure the recovery of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Diagnostic imaging systems and hospital telehealth solutions from Philips will also assist in the monitoring and management of patients in intensive care units - while also connecting caregivers and patients at home.

Soaring numbers of new coronavirus patients are putting the world's health services under strain, and more medical experts, equipment and supplies are needed globally to fight the pandemic.

The first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered in mid-March

The first Phase 1 study for a COVID-19 vaccine began in mid-March. Forty-five volunteers are expected to participate in the trial. The vaccine itself will not be available to the general public for at least a year to ensure if it is both safe and effective.

CEPI brings together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and to enable access to these vaccines during outbreaks.

Davos 2019 - Press Conference: CEPI - Building a Global Coalition to End Epidemics

Coalitions like CEPI are made possible through public-private partnerships. The World Economic Forum is the global platform for stakeholder engagement, bringing together a range of leaders from business, government and civil society to improve the state of the world. You can partner directly with our Platform for Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare to contribute to global health solutions.

Using biology to accelerate the search for potential COVID-19 vaccine

As coronavirus disrupts communities and economies around the world, the race is on to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and the world is watching.

Synthetic biology company Ginkgo Bioworks is bringing its research and development experience into the fight against the pandemic and is speeding up the development of a vaccine by bringing together different teams who are working on an inoculation.

This effort also includes support for sharing R&D information as quickly as possible once it is discovered by academics and companies working on solutions to the pandemic.

A new plan takes COVID-19 advice across Africa

More than 600 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 34 countries in Africa as of 19 March, according to the World Health Organization. Responding to the rapidly changing situation on a continent with specific healthcare challenges, a leading data intelligence firm has created a new plan to disseminate guidance on COVID-19 among the 42 countries of the African Union.

Through a public-private partnership, the NGO Resolve to Save Lives and the African Centre for Disease Control are working with IPSOS to gather data-driven insights which will allow them to create tailored guidelines on preventative measures on COVID-19. The coalition was able to use each partner's expertise to make a plan within a week that could deliver this solution fast and at scale.

Universities continue teaching the next generation of leaders

Crisis-affected art museums, research projects and youth organizations receive a boost in funding

The Carlsberg Foundation has launched funding for grants that will mobilize and support researchers, art museums and youth civil society in the scientific, economic and human efforts during this new era as society is challenged by the COVID-19 epidemic.

A significant investment was made to restart crisis-affected art museums in Denmark. Many art museums are temporarily closed on instructions from the authorities in connection with COVID-19, and the funding for art museums will assist with the implementation of programs that will draw guests back to museums when they reopen.

Funds were also provided for an emergency pool for civil society youth organizations to launch activities targeted at people who are particularly affected by COVID-19.

From supporting research on viruses to human behaviour, and donating to research the outbreak, spread and cessation of historical epidemics - the funding is set to encourage other businesses to invest in new ways to support the local and global economy during the coronavirus crisis.

Fashion and beauty brands are shifting gears to make masks and hand sanitiser

Factories that usually produce fashion and beauty products are shifting gears and joining the fight against COVID-19.

Kering SA, the conglomerate behind luxury fashion labels Balenciaga and Saint Laurent, said it would switch factory operations to producing surgical masks for French hospitals, with the approval of health authorities.

Inditex, which owns fashion retailer Zara, said it was looking into ways to convert part of its textile manufacturing capacity in Spain to make hospital gowns.

It was also planning to donate 300,000 masks and make its logistics and supplier network available to meet demand of emergency medical supplies.

H&M has followed suit and has offered to donate and source supplies of protective masks, gowns and gloves to countries most affected in the EU.

Luxury firm LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, TAG Heuer and many other brands, will use its perfume production infrastructure to make hand sanitiser.

"LVMH will use the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic brands... to produce large quantities of hydroalcoholic gels," the company said in a statement.

And the company is not stopping there. LVMH, a partner of the Forum, has also pledged to work with a Chinese industrial supplier to secure 10 million surgical face masks which will be distributed to French health services.

The cloud is keeping education going during the COVID-19 crisis in Bahrain

With COVID-related school closures increasing globally, across the Middle East companies are asking: how can the cloud power schools and universities to run their classes remotely?

Bahrain's Ministry of Education has worked with the Kingdom's Information & eGovernment Authority to create a dedicated electronic education portal - used by students to view lessons, download education materials, complete their homework online, and participate in discussions with classmates.

The Tata Group pledges $200 million for affected communities, free education software and a COVID-19 patient tracker to fight the virus

The larger Tata Group has pledged more than US $200 million to protect and empower affected communities - working closely with the governments in countries where they operate. The funds will provide personal protective equipment for health workers on the frontline, respiratory systems, testing kits, treatment facilities and training for health workers.

CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services, Rajesh Gopinathan, has urged all companies to be leaders in responding to the COVID crisis globally.

The company has also made their distance learning software platform available for free to educational institutions. The mobile and web platform empowers educators to engage with students in real time - sharing educational materials including videos, assignments and assessments in an interactive way - with even the option to simulate live classroom teaching.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The dramatic spread of COVID-19 has disrupted lives, livelihoods, communities and businesses worldwide. Organizations around the world, including the Forum and its partners, are coming together and innovating to minimize the impact on public health and to limit disruptions to economies and supply chains.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Clinical Governance: Improving the quality of healthcare for patients and service users

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"An excellent book for multi-professional healthcare teams interested in quality in the context of clinical governance. Drawing on key theories related to quality in health care, the book provides an evidence-based, step by step guide, to all components of clinical governance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said the company is seeing pre-pandemic productivity levels from employees again - thanks to leadership coaching and employee surveys.

"What we saw in the early days of Covid we saw a bit of productivity dip, in particular at junior levels." Porat said at the New York Times DealBook conference Wednesday. "That said to us, what we really needed was to double down on: What coaching do our senior leaders need to help their more junior people along? We had a real surge in G2G training, what we call Google-to-Google training. We think we're pretty much back to pre-Covid levels."

Porat said the company has done a lot of "pulse surveys" to see what's important to employees, and allowing them to assess their own productivity. Porat added that the company has added more granular team meetings and more frequent check-ins with employees, as well as working more with employee resource groups. She said executives "marry that with data on what's going on with coding" to see how people are being productive.

"We feel more closely connected now and the feedback feels like we've been on this long journey at Google and we're in a really good spot where Googlers' sentiment is strong."

Early on in the pandemic and before other tech companies, Porat led the company's crisis response to the pandemic and called on Google employees to prepare to mobilize during a "big moment." The company was one of the first to order employees to work from home, first moving its people out from Asia offices in February and then from the U.S. in March.

Porat leaned on her experience with economic crisis management in her prior roles on Wall Street, she said at Wednesday's conference.

"In a crisis, you're dealing with the least worst choice," she said. "For Google, that was a new muscle because Google really had had the best of the best options for so much of its life."

During the summer, Google extended its voluntary work-from-home option through the summer of 2021, but executives have since said it's working on a "Hybrid" return model after surveys showed employees want to return to the office at some point, but not every day.

Planning that return to offices has been "substantially more complicated" than was moving everyone to work from home, Porat said Wednesday. She noted it will have safety measures as well as try to retain the same quirk, serendipity, fun and collaborative culture.

"We're thinking about how we layer in these technology and tools so you can live in this hybrid world," Porat said at the conference. "We will continue to experiment and we're looking at a lot of different formats."
WATCH: Coronavirus may change how Big Tech works

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alphabet CFO explains how Google fixed a dip in productivity during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said the company is seeing pre-pandemic productivity levels from employees again - thanks to leadership coaching and employee surveys. "What we saw in the early days of Covid we saw a bit of productivity dip, in particular at junior levels."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As we face the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the CIPD is collating and publishing updated resources to support your response

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mike Kemp/Getty Images

This week, the UK has experienced the biggest rail strike in three decades called by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, bringing major upheaval to the economy. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg in what appears to be a growing trend of discontented UK workers demonstrating their willingness to withdraw their labour to achieve better pay and working conditions.

The cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation are significant drivers for the increased level of discontent, but it is not just in the rail sector. According to the Guardian, disputes are on the rise. Compared with figures in 2019-20, between October 2021 and March 2022 the General Municipal Boilermakers union was involved in seven times more disputes, while Unite saw an almost fourfold increase over the same period. Many other trade unions have also threatened industrial action in industries such as aviation, education, health and even the legal sector. Notably, we are also seeing industrial action in industries and sectors that have historically managed to resolve their industrial relations differences - a trend that is likely to continue.

It is a common misunderstanding that employers faced with industrial action are not permitted to communicate directly with their employees to try to dissuade them from supporting industrial action. Employers are entitled to explain the impact of the industrial action on the business, the implications for them personally (for example, in terms of pay), the effect it may have on the wider workforce and the importance of voting to avoid a successful ballot because of voter apathy. Employers should be honest in their communications and not threaten or intimidate their employees.
Be prepared to challenge the union
In organising a strike (and other forms of industrial action) a trade union may commit the tort of inducing a breach of contract. However, the trade union will be protected from legal action if it has satisfied the statutory conditions for immunity. These include:

the action is in furtherance of a trade dispute and not for a prohibited reason;

the union members have been properly balloted and support the action. The union must only ballot those of its members who it reasonably believes will be induced to take part; and

the union has complied with the strict notification requirements employers are entitled to, including seven days notice of a ballot, notice of the outcome as soon as reasonably practicable and at least 14 days notice before the industrial action is due to start.

Failure to follow these procedural steps may give the employer the right to seek an injunction, although that may only serve to delay the action.
How to mitigate the risks associated with industrial action
While an outright strike is likely to cause major disruption to employers, action short of a strike, such as an overtime ban, a go-slow or work to rule can also cause resourcing issues, delay production and prove expensive.

Mitigation strategies will depend on the nature of the threatened industrial action and the disruption likely to be caused. However, a key planning consideration is likely to include: communications with the workforce, suppliers and customers; reorganising the workforce to deal with resourcing and arranging cover where permitted; anticipating issues that may arise in the event of workplace picketing; and making alternative arrangements for the supply of goods.

It is important to note that, in the case of a strike, it is a criminal offence for an employment business to supply an employer with agency workers to cover the work of either striking workers or those workers who have been redeployed to cover the work of striking workers. Employers may themselves also become liable for instructing the employment business to supply agency workers.

Employers are otherwise free to use existing employees from other areas of their business, continue to use existing agency workers to do the work they were originally supplied to do or to cover the work of absent employees who are not striking, directly recruit temporary workers, or outsource services to a third-party contractor.

Not having the ability to rely on agency workers can significantly increase the potential effect of a strike in some industries, which is why the government intends to remove this statutory prohibition. While this could take the sting out of strike action, it remains to be seen what the actual impact of such a change in the law will be on industries that engage highly skilled staff.

According to recent press reports, the legislation to repeal the prohibition will be laid before parliament this week with the intention that the new law will come into effect by mid-July. The Trades Union Congress has warned that such a move would violate trade union members' right to strike, which is safeguarded by ILO Convention, the European Social Charter 1961 and article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Tracey Marsden is a partner and Eric Gilligan of counsel at CMS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Striking times: preparing for industrial action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This week, the UK has experienced the biggest rail strike in three decades called by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, bringing major upheaval to the economy. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg in what appears to be a growing trend of discontented UK workers demonstrating their willingness to withdraw their labour to achieve better pay and working conditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Reduce Employee Resistance to Change in the Workplace

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Resistance to change is natural when employees are asked, well, to change. You can reduce employee resistance to change by taking these actions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction:

Nudge Theory Change Management Model Process Checklist frames change more attractively. It is more of a theory that a change management model.

Nudge Theory Change Management Model: An introduction

The Nudge theory is a behavioral science concept developed by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in the 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.

The basis of the theory is that nudging change along is much more effective than trying to enforce it in a traditional sense. Rather than telling your employees what to do, the choice landscape is designed so that employees are choosing the needed change themselves.

This changing the choice landscape is known as nudging. The trick with Nudge Theory is knowing how to present these nudges.

The core aspects of nudges are ascertained as being:

There is no set method to Nudge theory so in that sense the theory is vague. It is better to think of nudge theory as a tool to use with another, more structured change management model.

This checklist will follow the basic principles of nudge theory, so your team are nudged to choose your proposed changes:

1. Clearly define your changes

2. Consider changes from your employees point of view

3. Use evidence to show the best options

4. Present the change as a choice

5. Listen to feedback

6. Limit obstacles

7. Keep the momentum up with short-term wins

What's good about it

Nudge theory helps the employee realize the importance of the issue and lets them choose the solution. This gives the employee choice, strengthening employee bonds with yourself and the business, leading to greater loyalty and lower employee turnover.

Nudge theory can be a great supplement to change management models that neglect the employee side to change. The theory looks at change from an employee perspective.

What's bad about it

As already mentioned, the nudge theory doesn't provide a model for analyzing, managing, deploying, and maintaining change and so it is best used as a supplement to another change management model. Because of this, implementing the nudge theory alongside another change management model is time and energy-consuming.

Nudge theory also suffers in terms of its predictability. Changing the landscape in favor of the employee to make a choice does not guarantee that the choice you want to be made is made.

How to use this checklist

At the beginning of this checklist, you will be presented with a set of specialized questions given as form fields. You are required to populate each form field with your data.

The checklist is broken down into the 7 stages of the Nudge Theory Change Management Model:

Stage 1 - Clearly define your changes

Stage 2 - Consider the changes from your employee point of view

Stage 3 - Use evidence to show the best options

Stage 4 - Present the changes as a choice

Stage 5 - Listen to feedback

Stage 6 - Limit obstacles

Stage 7 - Keep the momentum up with short-term wins

At the end of each stage, your supervisor/manager will review your work using Process Street's approvals feature. Other features used in this template include:

Stop tasks - To ensure task order.

Dynamic due dates - To make sure your initiative is reviewed on time.

Role assignment - To delegate tasks within your team ensuring your supervisors is appropriately assigned to the review tasks.

Approvals - Tasks can be accepted, rejected, and rejected with comments.

Record checklist details

In this Nudge Theory Change Management Model Process Checklist, you will be presented with the following form fields for which you are required to populate with your specific data. More information for each form field type is provided via linkage to our help pages:

Let's start by recording your business details, your details, and the details of your supervisor or manager.

This is a stop task, meaning you cannot progress in this template until the required form fields are populated.

Business details

Your details

Details of Manager/Supervisor

Checklist details

Once set, the due dates for each phase in this Lewin's Change Management Model Process Checklist will be used to set a dynamic due date, notifying your manager for the needed stage approval when required.

Overview change details

To begin this Nudge Theory Change Management Model Process Checklist, take the time to give a summary overview of the changes you intend to implement and explain why you want to implement these changes.

Next, consider potential roadblocks you could encounter during the implementation of change. Summarize how you intend to remove these roadblocks .

Use the long-text form fields to detail this information

Define your changes to be deployed

The goal of the nudge theory is not simply to deploy the required changes but to do so with the full support of your employees. Your employees need to know exactly what they are signing up for.

Use the long-text form field to clearly define your changes to be deployed.

Approval: Stage 1

Assess your team

"A nudge is any aspect of the choice architecture that alters behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. A nudge must be easy and cheap to avoid." - Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge (2008)

Once you have set out what changes you want to make, you need to consider how these changes will appear from your employee's point of view. For this you need to consider:

Your team's culture

Your team's structure

Your team's responsibilities

Your team's skills

Use the long-text form fields below to detail this information.

Detail how the change is desirable to your team

Think about how the changes to be achieved are desirable to your workforce.

Use the long-text form field below to detail this.

Approval: Stage 2

Assess current performance and structure

Once you know how to present the change to fit the priorities of your team, you need to gather evidence to prove how this could be useful.

The first step to gathering this evidence is to obtain information on current performance and structure.

Use the long-text form field below to detail this information.

Do not cherry-pick evidence that supports your theory, ignoring contradictory evidence.

Predict change effects

You then need to predict the effects of change. Use the long-text form field to detail these predictions.

Compare current performance with predictions

Next, compare your current performance with the predicted effects of change. It is this difference that will be presented to your teams.

Use the l ong-text form field below to detail the results of your comparisons made.

Set up a meeting with your team to present this comparison.

Assign a meeting date. This will utilize our dynamic due date feature, notifying you a day before the meeting.

You can use our members form field to select the team members to attend the meeting. These team members will be notified.

Run stage 3 meeting

It is now time to run the stage 3 meeting. Use this meeting to communicate the difference between actual performance and predicted performance from the changes made. This is a stop task, meaning you cannot move forward in this template until the meeting has been conducted.

Approval: Stage 3

Question whether the change has been chosen by your team

Despite the evidence gathered, as the Nudge theory goes, the evidence cannot be forced on your team. Doing so will only breed resentment.

Select yes or no from the drop-down form field provided in response to the given question. The question asks whether the change has been accepted and therefore chosen by your team.

If you have argued your case well, backing it up with evidence, then you should be able to respond yes to this question.

Identify why change has not been chosen

There could be several reasons as to why your implemented changes have not been chosen by your team, such as:

Did you miss anything when presenting the evidence to your team?

Have you argued your case well enough?

Listening to your team's feedback is a great way to decipher why your proposed changes were rejected. Listening to feedback is the next stage of this checklist.

Approval: Stage 4

Plan stage 5 meeting

Whether your changes have been accepted or not, you need to listen to the feedback your team has. By doing so you can:

Identify why your changes were rejected if they have been rejected

Reveal missed outside factors not yet considered

Show your team they are valued as people and their opinion matters

To gather this feedback, set up a meeting with your employees. You can use our date form field to set a date for this meeting, and our members form field to assign team members to attend.

Run stage 5 meeting

It is now time to run the stage 5 meeting. Use this meeting to gather feedback from your team. This is a stop task, meaning you cannot move forward in this template until the meeting has been conducted.

Make sure to document your feedback.

Document feedback

During the meeting, you should have documented the feedback given.

You can use the file upload form field to attach the documented feedback into this checklist. Alternatively, you may have documented feedback into online documentation. Use the website form field to add the URL of online documentation used.

Approval: Stage 5

Set up a stage 6 meeting

Before and during the deployment of the changes, you should be limiting or removing obstacles. You don't want to hit a roadblock during your change process, as this will set precedence for the enthusiasm for your change to come plummeting down.

You need to take the time to assess what might get in the way of the change and tackle those issues as soon as possible.

A great way to identify potential obstacles is to talk to your team. Set up a stage 6 meeting. Assign a meeting date and select the members to attend this meeting.

Run stage 6 meeting

It is now time to run the stage 6 meeting. Use this meeting to identify potential roadblocks that could affect the change implemented. This is a stop task, meaning you cannot move forward in this template until the meeting has been conducted.

Make sure to document the obstacles identified from your meeting.

Document obstacles identified

During the meeting, you should have documented the obstacles identified.

You can use the file upload form field to attach the documented feedback into this checklist. Alternatively, you may have documented feedback into online documentation. Use the website form field to add the URL of online documentation used.

Limit identified obstacles

Once you have identified potential obstacles to your change process, develop a strategy that will alleviate/limit these obstacles.

Approval: Stage 6

Document short-term goals

Once some progress has been made on the deployment of your changes, you need to ensure that these changes are maintained.

For this, plan out short-term goals and milestones which you can celebrate on reaching. Use the long-text form field below to plan out short-term, goals.

Keep updating the short-term goals to maintain momentum until the changes set are as a normal routine.

Approval: Stage 7

Related checklist:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nudge Theory Change Management Model Process Checklist | Process Street

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction: Nudge Theory Change Management Model Process Checklist frames change more attractively. It is more of a theory that a change management model.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On the surface, Our Iceberg Is Melting is a simple story of a colony of penguins facing a dilemma. But contained within the story and the characters is a powerful message about the fear of change and how to motivate people to face the future and take action.

Looking for more on this topic?
Rent the Video Buy Scorecards
Check out our educational program, Change Essentials, based on this book.

Praise for Our Iceberg Is Melting

"As a result of the book and my sharing it with a few people in the organization, we have moved quickly on several fronts. We are galvanixed to go ahead instead of further studying, more organizing, and so on. It is making a difference for us."
Tom Curley / former President and CEO, Associated Press

"Our Iceberg Is Melting is superb. It embodies powerful messages that can help a broad audience. It covers all the steps to success in a changing world, from finding the substantial issues, aligning with a potent champion, charting the course, getting buy-in, dealing with those who want no change, and so on."
Chris Hand / Citigroup Global Account Vice President, Avaya Corporation

"Never have I read a parable in a business book that took a complex issue like change management and distilled it down into a simple story for all to understand. This is the ideal follow-on to Leading Change and The Heart of Change. A must-read for anyone dealing with managing change."
Richard J. Kosinski / Category Development Officer, Yahoo, Inc.

Buy the Book

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Our Iceberg is Melting | A Book by John Kotter & Holger Rathgeber

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On the surface, Our Iceberg Is Melting is a simple story of a colony of penguins facing a dilemma. But contained within the story and the characters is a powerful message about the fear of change and how to motivate people to face the future and take action.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are lots of models for change management that have developed over many years. Not all will work in all situations so it is essential to have several tools in your toolbox and select the right one for the right situation.

The House of Change is perhaps less widely known than some other models you may have come across, but was particularly useful for me throughout my project when "incorporating" elements of the public sector (Example: Transforming the Harbours and Airport from public sector departments to the private company now known as Ports of Jersey).

The House of Change is in some ways similar to the better known Kübler-Ross Change Curve, but it is not about grief. The Change Curve over simplifies by assuming the organisation moves through the phases of change together and sequentially.

By contrast The Change House does not assume we have the same starting and end-point in our journey. Indeed it explores where people are and where they could be, indicating a possible move in any direction. It notes that at any time different people, teams, departments or mindsets may be in different rooms with different perspectives.

In this version of the Change House there are 7 elements

1. Room of Contentment People are happy, complacent and possibly ignorate of crisis or need to change

2. Room of Denial People do not believe change is necessary or will come, or will impact them

3. Room of Confusion People are uncertain about implications, impact, meaning, what changes and what does not

4. Dungeon of Despair People spiral into decline and need help or support

5. Pit of Paralysis People do not know what they should be doing and pause for guidance or assurance

6. Wrong Door Of Reality Some people may leave and others may arrive

7. Room of Renewal People become confident, competent and comfortable

What is good about this

The model is useful to help people understand people's positions and possible reactions to change, both in terms of emotion and behaviour ostensibly helping organisations understand resistance to change. It can be used to plan communications and anticipate interventions for support for people "stuck in their room".

What is bad about this

It does appear to be formulaic and people may feel anxious if "put in a room" and manipulated if subject to a script or plan to move them according to the needs of the organisation. People will feel like individuals even if they behave like a herd, and it is important not to personalise and respect that change and pace may be very different for each person and it isn't as simple as moving sheep into a pen.

My experience

I have used this to plan interventions and support people in each room and their movements between the rooms: From complacency through denial and onward and upward to the room or renewal.

This process respects the concept of change as being in steps: Denial (This is not happening) Defence (This is not fair) Discuss (Some changes are necessary) Adapt (Can we compromise) Adopt (I can go with this). Some people pass through these steps very quickly, others linger their room, refusing to come out.

The aim is to move quickly through uncertainty or anxiety, not to dwell but to accept, adapt and adopt change along the way. As a leader it is important to look after people's well-being and a healthy mindset is essential to create the capacity, drive and desire for change. We must nurture and support which means not leaving them to negative downward spiral of despair or fright.

Inevitably some people may leave and others may arrive (door of reality) and so the process needs to take account of the inevitable reorientation or induction which is essential for us to progress upward (renewal and growth) rather than downward (paralysis).

Practical tools include communications which offer appropriate messages for each room. This may be uncomfortable truths for those who are in the room of contentment, or facts and figures for those in denial. Those who spiral into despair may need a buddy, a coach, mentoring maybe even counselling depending on the nature of the shift. For those who are confused vision, opportunity, hope, support and training are essential. This is essential to create upward momentum. Goals, targets, behaviours, appraisals and rewards all encourage progress over paralysis.

Your organisation

If you are interested in this or any of the other tools, techniques, training or models for change please get in touch. We offer advice, coaching or consultancy which may be useful to support technical or organisational change. We are happy to have a coffee and a conversation about your needs and possible approaches without any obligation. We love what we do and are happy to share that with you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Change Management Tools: The House of Change - Solitaire Consulting Limited

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are lots of models for change management that have developed over many years. Not all will work in all situations so it is essential to have several tools in your toolbox and select the right one for the right situation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Organisational change is a constant in many organisations, driven by a number of different forces including customers, markets and technology. Yet research shows that most change initiatives fail to get their intended outcomes and may even limit an organisation's potential and its people. The effects of not managing change effectively can be devastating and long lasting, so it's important that people professionals understand the issues and equip themselves with techniques to support change management initiatives.

This factsheet looks at why change management is important, the implications of not managing change effectively, and the potential issues that can arise in change management processes. It also offers a series of techniques to help ensure change is effective.

​

This factsheet was last updated by Steve George.

Steve George: Digital Learning Portfolio Manager, HR and Projects

Steve joined the CIPD in 2016, bringing his wide experience and expertise in developing online learning programmes. He works across the HR portfolio on managing and developing content for our qualifications, short courses and publications. Steve is an Associate member of the CIPD and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Explore our related content

CIPD Learning Courses

Gain a comprehensive baseline knowledge of strategic workforce planning that you can apply in the workplace

Go to course details

Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organisational change is a constant in many organisations, driven by a number of different forces including customers, markets and technology. Yet research shows that most change initiatives fail to get their intended outcomes and may even limit an organisation's potential and its people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What does VUCA thinking mean for your LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIES, PROCESSES and CULTURE?

Paint a picture of the future you want. Together; as a compass and for orientation; in order to confer meaning and spark motivation - and to forge internal and external identity and effectiveness.

Understand interconnections; make them transparent. Reflect on the context. Think and plan meta-strategically. Start from the result and work backwards. Harmonise skills. Embrace and exploit behaviours and reactions. Convert anxiety and resistance into productive energy.

Simplicity. Focus on what counts and what it's really about. Trust, transparent connections and processes. Apply energy and force exactly where they will be most effective.

Flexibility. Agility. Scrutinise hierarchical management techniques. Promote a consistent culture for making decisions and accounting for failures. Interact transparently with objections. Facilitate innovation and build up resilience.

What does VUCA thinking mean for your LEADERSHIP and STRATEGIES?

VUCA Positive

VUCA is more than a buzzword! It is a way of thinking and approaching solutions to the problems of our digital and dynamic world.
VUCA Expert

Best practice was yesterday

Best thinking is in demand today and tomorrow

VUCA, BANI and RUPT: In this time of multiple crises, there is a need for any kind of translation and creation that provides orientation and allows organisations and management to do more of what is appropriate!

The terms VUCA, BANI and RUPT and the concepts behind them are used to describe the challenges and dynamics that organisations and societies face in a world characterised by uncertainty and constant change. Organisations that are aware of this reality can be better prepared to adapt and operate successfully in a complex environment.
It would be wrong and unwise to send these concepts and ideas into competition with each other. Rather, it is more valuable to think about the respective statements and positions together and to understand them as further support for a world that is moving forwards and no longer signifies an "exception to a rule". That would be very naive and more wishful thinking than realism.

Whereas the heroic manager of the past knew all, could do all, and could solve every problem, the postheroic manager asks how every problem can be solved in a way that develops other people´s capacity to handle it.
Irish economic and social philosopher

Whereas the heroic manager of the past knew all, could do all, and could solve every problem, the postheroic manager asks how every problem can be solved in a way that develops other people´s capacity to handle it.
Irish economic and social philosopher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
VUCA - Leaders with Vision, Understanding, Clarity, Agility!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
VUCA - Empowering Leaders with Vision, Understanding, Clarity, Agility! Innovation craves spaces, creativity, rapidity, and flexibility.