Corporations, Covid, Politics, and Diversity

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted and changed the corporate, political, social, and economic landscapes.  The present climate feels like a tsunami with continuing underwater explosions.  Coupled with COVID-19 was the death of George Floyd in May 2020.  His death evoked strong national and international responses.

The interfacing of these two events have had major impacts on business and nonprofit communities, which are currently caught in an escalating evolution in terms of management and employees.  We will briefly address three major challenges facing companies, and how James Consulting & Associates (JCA) can provide insights, analysis, leadership, support, and new solutions to address those issues.

1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Floyd’s death has certainly served as a highly activated catalyst in addressing (DEI) issues among corporations.  Businesses have always had DEI divisions or departments. Many of these departments served to provide statistics for Government and public consumption.  Many of these departments served in a reactive rather than a proactive role.

The death of Floyd has had the public demanding more accountability in terms of diversity among company employees. This has been further extended to issues of equity and inclusion.  A company having a diverse set of employees based on racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and other factors, does not guarantee that those employees are treated equitably in terms of compensation etc., or included in the decision-making process.

The American demographic is vigorously changing. It is estimated that by 2045 the US will be a “minority white”. This change will profoundly impact how corporations conduct business. For at the end of the day, the profit margins of most businesses depend on customers and their attitudes towards specific companies. JCA does provide the support and guidance in redesigning company operations to address DEI issues.

2. The Political Climate

The American populace is very divided politically. Politics is the process in which government determines the allocation of resources to its population. Intertwined deeply in this process are corporations.  Since the death of Floyd and the subsequent protests, the decibel level of more diversity, equity and accountability of corporations and Government continue to rise.

The “Cancel Culture” phenomenon has added a new dimension to the political climate. Corporations and organizations through public pressure have become more sensitized to statements uttered by employees and others, and to statements deemed “inappropriate”.  This has led to much anxiety and confusion as to the degree to which employees can articulate their views without company repercussions. The question is often asked in terms of various company responses, “ Is this just virtue signaling”?

We have seen the mobilizing of many major corporations to respond to and oppose the voting laws passed in Georgia.  Similar laws are being proposed in other states. These  pressures have placed many CEOs and upper-level management in difficult decision-making processes.  The issue of being partisan is being leveled by both sides of the political spectrum.  How companies will navigate those waters will be a challenge, since companies usually make large donations to both major political parties.

Many corporations are now caught in a political, moral, and ethical web of conflict.  One area of specialization of James Consulting & Associates, is in the area of Conflict Resolution. Helping companies revisit and reassess their mission, vision and value statements, their political stances, and their profitability, are integral to lead to an informed decision-making process.  JCA can also help corporations develop guidelines in terms of employee personal or official statements.

3. Mental Health, Remote Work and Employee Performance

When many employees were told in the spring of 2020 that due to COVID-19, they would be working from home, the general consensus was that it would only be for a few weeks.  Those few weeks have extended into a second year.  Remote work has led to many additional stressors for many employees.  In various surveys, stress has been highlighted as one of the biggest impacts in remote work.

First, there is the added stress of domestic duties, especially for those employees who have younger children.  For many, this meant parenting all day, and the exacting demands of home schooling, especially for those parents who have been away from a classroom setting for a long time.

Second, there is the added corporation and organization stress. Even with the platforms of Zoom, Teams and others, the lack of physical and social interaction has led to isolation, and in many cases a sense of insecurity in terms of evaluations by supervisors.  Many employees indicate increased stress as they sometimes have difficulty curtailing their work from 8am to 5pm.  These demands lead to depression, anxiety, and burnout.

A high percentage of employees who work remotely, indicate that their mental health has deteriorated, and has led to a decrease in productivity. With the sudden onset of remote work, leadership and management were also affected.  There was minimal time for leadership to develop policies and procedures in relationship to management and communication issues.

JCA has developed effective occupational stress management programs.  We also provide the expertise to enable leadership and management to engage in systemic and systematic approaches for all levels of the corporation.  In addition, because of expertise in family dynamics and functioning, JCA is well positioned to address the myriad challenges of remote work for both employee, management, and leadership.