Ger Connolly

The law firm surveyed nearly 300 HR professionals who participated in a recent webinar on key issues for HR teams as organisations continue to live with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) believe their workplace will not re-open fully until after April 2021, and more than a third (37 per cent) believe their organisation will make redundancies in the next six months.

Employment partner Ger Connolly said: “When we asked this same question of HR professionals at a webinar in May, 78 per cent of those surveyed stated that they felt they would be back in the office within two months and only two per cent believed it would be 2021 before they return.

“This shows a major shift in sentiment as we continue to grapple with the pandemic and cases continue to rise.”

He added: “The next six months may see more focus on redundancies as organisations are in survival mode. For HR teams, even when working remotely your policies still apply and should be followed carefully. Timely communication with employees will become even more important, so it’s important to use all the tools at your disposal for this.”