The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted communities and countries worldwide. While the total effects will not be understood for some time, we are already able to see the negative influences in the daily lives of individuals.

According to Statista, after the main concern of one’s own family’s health, worries about one’s country’s economic stability came in second, with 67%, 59%, 68% of people in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States respectively expressing unease.

Similarly, a large proportion international development community has been stunted in their regular activities. Alongside the health of individuals and the sustainability of national healthcare systems, organizations are anxious about the economic fallout from the pandemic.

Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, stated the impact of this crisis could cause the equivalent of 195 million lost jobs, adding that the current sectors most drastically feeling the pressure of the pandemic are food and accommodation (144 million workers), retail and wholesale (482 million); business services and administration (157 million); and manufacturing (463 million).

The ILO itself presented its own policy framework and recommendations for addressing the issue of employment in four pillars: 1) stimulating the economy and employment, 2) supporting enterprises, jobs, and incomes, 3) protecting workers in the workforce, and 4) relying on social dialogue for solutions.

While the situation seems largely grim, it offers organizations an opportunity to challenge their abilities to cooperate and coordinate with other groups to introduce pragmatic and innovative solutions to mitigate major effects worldwide by merging resources, capacities, and skills without compromising their individual values and goals.

This global crisis has exposed the ways in which our economies are vulnerable and subject to inequalities but has provided a chance for organizations, communities, governments, and businesses to rebuild the economy in a way that benefits all parties and encourages a working style that allows individuals to enjoy their work while meeting their basic needs.