Cork Chamber Urges Businesses to Prepare for a New Post-Covid Workplace Environment

As offices implement staggered reopening across the country, Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has urged employers to be proactive in preparing for a new post-Covid workplace and to support its members, has announced a strategic partnership with Adare Human Resource Management.

Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber said “This is a great week for so many, as offices reopen their doors, and we begin to see teams work together safely – some of whom have been fully remote since March 2020. It is important, however, that all employers are proactive in informing themselves about the HR and health and safety considerations as they welcome their teams back to the workplace. This new era offers great opportunities for businesses and their employees to redefine and reshape their workplace norms, and it is in all our interests that we embrace the positive learnings from the past 18 months and move ahead with confidence and optimism.”

The comments were made as Cork Chamber announced a new strategic partnership with Adare Human Resource Management one of Ireland’s leading HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety consultancies. The partnership will ensure that the 1,200+ Chamber members who employ over 100,000 people have access to continuous expert human resource management and employment law advice as well as supporting businesses as they focus on reopening safely.

According to Derek McKay, Managing Director at Adare Human Resource Management, businesses have been adapting to changes on a scale never seen before. “Covid-19 continues to have a dramatic impact on the employment landscape across the county and country. Remote and hybrid working, managing the safe return to the workplace as well as the impending legislation around Statutory Sick Pay and with the introduction of the Right to Disconnect represent just some of the challenges employers have to deal with in the coming months.”

“Research carried out as part of our HR Barometer Report earlier this year highlighted that the top priority for businesses in the region is ‘Employee Retention’ with ‘Employee Health & Safety’ coming in second. This clearly demonstrates employers are very aware of their responsibilities in relation to the health and wellbeing of their staff as well as recognising the difficulties in recruiting and retaining good talent. With our support, Cork Chamber members will get peace of mind knowing that they have access to the experience and expertise to meet these challenges head-on,” he added.

In closing Mr Healy said “The coming months will continue to see uncertainty given how fluid the current situation is. However, it’s important that we provide our members with the support and guidance that they need, which is why our partnership with Adare Human Resource Management is particularly of value to them.”

For further information contact Bo Browne on 086 3757326 or bo@corkchamber.ie

About Cork Chamber
Cork Chamber is committed to making Cork the best place for business. As the leading business organisation in the south of Ireland, it supports and represents the interests of almost 1,200 businesses employing over 100,000 people across the region. Founded in 1819, Cork Chamber is one of Ireland’s largest and longest established Chambers and is the nation’s No.1 regional lobby group. Supporting sustainable development in the region, Cork Chamber is championing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, through which the Chamber priorities and activities are framed.

For more on Cork Chamber visit www.corkchamber.ie, follow on Twitter @corkchamber and Linkedin @cork-chamber.