COVID-19 and the new forms of employment relationship: implications and insights for human resource development

Abstract

Purpose The labor market has witnessed the increase of the new forms of employment relationship (freelancers, contingent workers, and gig workers) due to the COVID-19 outbreak, generating new workforce patterns that represent a significant challenge for human resource development (HRD) professionals in organizations. Studies that have addressed these new forms of employment relationship and HRD during this pandemic are sparse. This paper aims to broaden the scope of HRD research by exploring the implications of these new forms of employment relationship for HRD in the time of COVID-19. It also provides insights for HRD professionals as well as governments into how to address this challenge. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a viewpoint that addresses the new workforce patterns generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for HRD at the organizational, individual and national levels. Findings COVID-19 sheds light on the importance of atypical workers who can create a competitive advantage for organizations, ensure their continuity and significantly benefit national and societal well-being in times of health crisis. However, these atypical workers are often overlooked when it comes to training and development. Whence the importance, for HRD professionals and governments, to address their situation and to integrate them into organizational and national HRD plans and programs, by going beyond traditional models of HRD which focus mainly on standard employees. Originality/value This paper examines a relatively unexplored topic. Besides examining the implications of the new forms of employment relationship, for HRD, it provides insights for HRD professionals and governments into how to address the challenges related to these new forms of employment relationship.

COVID-19 challenges and employees' stress: mediating role of family-life disturbance and work-life imbalance

“…Due to these lockdown measures, around 140 million people around the globe have lost their jobs (Chakraborty, 2020). Further, COVID-19 pandemic has highly impacted some specific segments of workforce such as women, self-employed, low wage workers, temporary workers and atypical or non-standard employees such as freelancers and gig workers (Pouliakas and Branka, 2020;Hamouche and Chabani, 2021). The impact of this pandemic has been quite asymmetric as the workforce segment has suffered the most in almost all the countries (Fana et al, 2020).…”

Workforce's crisis-induced career shock, career preferences, job insecurity, layoff and perceived employability: examining variations based on gender, education level and ethnic origin

“…Besides, the employment market witnessed an increase in the flexible form of work arrangements (e.g. subcontracted work, such as temporary agency work, freelancers and gig economy) (Spurk and Straub, 2020; Hamouche and Chabani, 2021), as a consequence of the uncertainty generated by this pandemic. For instance, Gartner's report in the US revealed that “ 32% of organizations are replacing full-time employees with contingent workers as a cost-saving measure ” (Baker, 2020).…”

“…Indeed, studies revealed that COVID-19 generated a “great resignation” sweeping worldwide workplaces (Allman, 2021; Sheather and Slattery, 2021). Many individuals were either quitting their job or looking for a career change (Allman, 2021), and this can weigh heavily on sectors already suffering from a workforce shortage, such as healthcare (Hamouche and Chabani, 2021; Sheather and Slattery, 2021; Hamouche, 2022). In the US, for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021) showed that the quitting level and rate increased to a series high of 4 million and 2.7%, in April 2021.…”

Covid-19, contingent workers and the implications for human resource development

“…Borrowing from Arora and Suri (2020), the authors set out a general framework for evaluating and recrafting HRD for the pandemic and post-pandemic world. They call this the “4-R crisis-normalcy model of HRD” (Hamouche and Chabani, 2021, p. 371). This cycles through redefining HRD, relooking at HRD, redesigning HRD and finally reincorporating HRD into the organization.…”