“I’m not sure if companies are prepared,” said Andrew Challenger, vice president at outplacement firm firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which works with companies on a variety of labor issues, including executive coaching, downsizings and career transition services.
Challenger said the situation already playing out in China, where workers in certain areas have not been able to do their jobs for weeks, raises the issue of private enterprise and government support for workers in unprecedented scenarios. “We’re seeing it begin to impact the world economy and workers, and hopefully it doesn’t get to this point in the U.S., but there are a multitude of complications from a legal standpoint and from an HR standpoint in terms of doing right by people and employees,” he said.
