„Corona is coming to attack with a big hit the world Business. Business is still fighting but let´s see how it will end. Oh no, Business just got knock out. Wait, wait, I can see that Business is trying to stand up…yes, commooooon, you can do that, commooooon guy. Business is shaking from his last knock out, but….but…..wait….YES, he is standing and now he gave back to Corona. Goodbye Corona, now we are 1:1. “
Who will be the final winner at the end? Yes, at this moment business worldwide is getting very many kicks and knock outs. But, on the other side is also showing new views and bringing new opportunities.
I have noticed and do not like the one way thinking of some people, where many of them have not ever been on the peak, top position of the management of companies. They are following only an idea “you have to keep the jobs of people, not cancel anybody, because it will break your reputation”. I fully agree with the mind of keeping the employment, and to improve it if possible. Everything has positives and negatives. And I mean it… EVERYTHING. This will definitely bring you a fresh fruit in the future from the marketing point of view and from the point of your brand as one of the best employers.
But there is a big “BUT”. Not all the companies in “business” are big players. Not all of them are working in quite safe industry, where you can be sure you have work for your employees also tomorrow. There are also many companies who were launched let´s say one or two year ago. When you start the business, then you should count with that you have most possibly a loss in first one – two years. Means, you should have some “pocket money” to cover the loss and pay your bills. You are really good if you are profitable from the very beginning. And, besides that, if you were able to save on a side for future within first two years, then you are really, really good and should have a respect from the others. But most of them were not having this opportunity to be profitable from their start and neither to save, so, of course they have to take a serious and very tough decision about their employees. Being them, what would you do in case of you have two options?:
You will cancel some people now when you still have money to pay them and to pay their leaving salary.
You will not cancel them and try to go into loss which is bigger than now and you know you will not have money to pay their salaries later on.
If you were some of them, I think you would choose to cancel the people with the feeling you really paid your dues. Maybe in 5 to 6 months the situation will turn and you will still have an opportunity to hire them back. But if not, they still got paid from this company what they had a right to get and still had a chance to find another job or to catch new opportunity. Being the company manager, of course this decision would come after you would use all the possibilities, like using vacation days, dealing on shorter working time, or on lower salary. I meant it as the “last option”. And I am sure many companies do this as the last option.
Other part are companies which are big players on the market with many employees. Like car industry. We all know each crisis catch the car industry. In times of crisis you can be happy if you work in agriculture, food production, medicine and health care. Whatever else, you can live without. And managers of those industries, which you can “live without”, they know it. If they want to stay alive for the future, they also have to cancel some people and they just have to find another solution how to “stay” in market. This is the searching of new opportunities and new visions…to new future. But nobody can do that without paying bills and salaries.
I remember the time after crisis in 2008/2009 when we were searching for new employees in some companies we provided our services to. It was so easy to find new people. They were nearly saying thank you when we hired them. But after some years there was such a problem to find new people, who were clever and willing to work. Many people got used to get a good salary, millions of benefits which they even haven´t use and it was still not enough. Some of the people were able to ask for “bonus” just because they came to work. It was “sick” employment environment. For sure, in Slovakia was. And this was very similar to situation which was here before the crisis in 2008. Now the history is coming to happen again. Just with one difference. For longer period there were discussions about if financial crisis will come and when etc. You could feel some movements on financial markets, but Corona was just speeding the process very much. Business generally got heart attack. Now Business is in “coma” period but will wake up soon and step by step will come better again. It will not be short period, but it will become better. It is very important that generation of people who passed crisis in 2008/2009 will learn from it second time if not from the first lesson. Just new generation of young people got a harder lesson this time. And this time really worldwide.
I understand to both sides, employees and employers. It is very hard period now we are passing. I would not like to be in a skin of any manager who really has to cancel some people. But I am sure they do it only because there is no other way. I appreciate all the company managers who are really fighting until the last breath to find a way how to support and keep their employees, their health as well as the health of the company. I know few of them also from my close business. I know it is very hard fight.
I feel very sorry for all the people who really lost their jobs. I feel sorry for the companies which had to reduce production and people. I feel sorry for those who had to face Corona. I WISH all will be strong enough to open the eyes and look into the future with new views.
I WISH all will be more humble, and that all will appreciate more that they can WAKE UP HEALTHY and have opportunity to go to work.
