Maybe the light is still faint and the blackness still dominates, but as the days pass the long journey through the dark tunnel of the pandemic seems that much closer to ending. With vaccinations ramping up in most parts of the world and economies now beginning to come to life, post-pandemic planning should now be undertaken in earnest. If there’s one things COVID-19 has taught us is that life is so uncertain that not putting in any contingency planning is utter negligence. So it is with exiting the pandemic. We now have to think seriously about putting a plan in place for when the restart gun goes off. Some thoughts:
Maybe the light is still faint and the blackness still dominates, but as the days pass the long journey through the dark tunnel of the pandemic seems that much closer to ending. With vaccinations ramping up in most parts of the world and economies now beginning to come to life, post-pandemic planning should now be undertaken in earnest. If there’s one things COVID-19 has taught us is that life is so uncertain that not putting in any contingency planning is utter negligence. So it is with exiting the pandemic. We now have to think seriously about putting a plan in place for when the restart gun goes off. Some thoughts:
1. The end is coming. No, not the world- the
pandemic. We should now wrap our heads
around the fact that the crisis will eventually
end. We have to deal with this looming
eventuality, and act accordingly. Those who
fail to plan a full exit will be left behind when
the full reboot happens, and it will. Get with the
program.
2. Take stock of your people. They are your
most important resource. Canvass their well-being and make sure they are ready for your
full re-opening, even though some of them
would still be working from home and other out-of-office locations. Plan for their gradual
reintegration. Make sure the premises they will
be returning to provide that degree of comfort
and safety that will ease the transition.
3. Hang the “We’re Open” sign. Make sure you
give notice to your clients, customers, suppliers
and other industry contacts that you’re back in
business as some of them may be wondering if
they could still count on you to provide the
service or product they need.
4. Be ready to jumpstart the business. Ensure
you have enough cash to meet payroll and
other expenses on reopening. Double check to
make sure your equipment and tools are in
good working order. Have the work premises
equipped with tools to ensure employee and
customer health and safety. This is especially
true if your business had been on a prolonged
pause during the lockdown.
The gig economy has brought to fore the issue of the proper status that should be accorded workers (drivers and delivery personnel) in that space. While employers are keen to label them as independent contractors to avoid footing many employment-related expenses such as overtime pay and paid holidays, the nature of the work performed by gig workers, the degree of control exercised over them, and their lack of alternative employment make this categorization not as clear cut. This has led to legislative intervention in some jurisdictions such as California where the law deems UBER and Lyft drivers as employees. Philippine regulators lean toward categorizing these workers as independent contractors. But I won't be surprised if the legislature steps in to say otherwise. This is another front where startups are forced to come to grips with the reality of laws and governments.