The CEOs of the three largest global staffing firms — The Adecco Group, Randstad and ManpowerGroup — formed an HR services industry alliance to help companies and workers return to work safely when the time is right.

The three firms wrote an open letter and published a white paper which includes industry recommendations on what is needed to prepare for the new normal in the workplace in the wake of Covid-19.

The alliance aims to share best practices on health and safety protocols, which will need to be either set-up or updated for the temporary “physical distancing economy.” “To provide the greatest measure of certainty to workers and businesses, it is critical these practices be shared across industries and countries, and that new channels be created to scale effective protocols at speed,” the letter states.

The alliance said “unparalleled collaboration and coordination” by diverse stakeholder groups, ranging from employers and governments to labor unions and institutes, is needed to prepare for the new normal in the workplace. 

“We are inviting employers, trade unions, and [nongovernmental organizations] to collaborate with us,” the firms stated in the open letter. “At the same time, we are reaching out to governments to support, stimulate and endorse these efforts. We urge other stakeholders to join forces to enable companies and workers to return to work in a way that is both safe and productive, ensuring security for all.”

According to the whitepaper, the initial focus will be on companies in five sectors and 10 countries/regions. The coalition will liaise with stakeholders on a country-by-country level in the coming weeks.