HR leaders have always played a crucial role in their organizations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust HR into the leadership spotlight. In the process, human resources teams have become “essential workers” to ensure a safe and healthy return to the workplace.
Future Workplace set out to understand the lasting impact of COVID-19 on work, the workplace, and the workforce, and what this means for the strategic priorities of HR. A recent survey of 349 workers by Pearl Meyer, the compensation firm, finds roughly one-third of the total workforce will continue to permanently work from home post-pandemic. Importantly, very few (4.3%) organizations say they would definitively reduce cash compensation for employees moving to lower-cost areas; in fact the majority of employers say they will not adjust salary if employees move to a lower cost location.