The American Health Policy Institute sent a
letter to the White House outlining the work the Institute and Association have engaged in since the beginning of the pandemic, illustrating the pivotal role CHROs play in their companies’ response to the pandemic. The letter relays the ways the Association has assisted our members in navigating the pandemic and how the private sector has continued to address the crisis with a commitment to the health and wellbeing of the American people.
The Association’s Mark Wilson stated: “Last February, the Association began a series of video calls and created a member portal and other resources to help address the collective concerns of large employers and share best practices around the pandemic. From protective gear and furloughs to childcare and vaccination policies, chief HR officers had to make critical decisions not only for the health of their workforce but, in many cases, the health of their entire company.”
The letter focuses on the activities the Association and its members have engaged in since the beginning of the pandemic surrounding three issue areas:
- Return to work: Association members continue to share resources related to safely returning to the office and webinars provided information on potential compliance issues as employers re-open their offices.
- Vaccinations: Webinars with pharmaceutical and health care companies allow us to provide up to date information to members. Our online community allows members to share their communication approaches for encouraging employee vaccination as well as lessons learned.
- Mental health: Our members’ commitment to addressing the growing mental health crisis can be seen through our partnerships with provider and employer groups. These partnerships allow us to drive actionable changes to the way employers provide mental health care to employees.
Lessons worth sharing: Our members have been at the forefront of their companies’ responses to the pandemic, developing and implementing innovative responses to keep employees safe and engaged. We believe these lessons learned will be useful to the White House Task Force as they develop their own strategies towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
