Diane Campanile, People-Dynamics
Diane Campanile gives a presentation.
T
he COVID‑19 pandemic has disrupted the day-to-day functioning of businesses and public agencies in myriad ways, raising safety worries and motivating a large shift to remote work. Amid these changes, employers have obligations to support their sick employees, protect their healthy ones, and figure out how to restart normal operations in a safe and prudent manner. In this interview, Diane Campanile, the founder of human resources (HR) firm People-Dynamics, tells Irrigation Leader about the rules and regulations all employers should be aware of in these challenging times. Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about yourself and your company, People-Dynamics.
Irrigation Leader: What are the top HR concerns amid the COVID‑19 pandemic? Diane Campanile: Employers are deciding how to bring employees back into the workplace, whether they have been
56 | IRRIGATION LEADER | JUNE 2020 - COVID-19 SPECIAL ISSUE
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about the recent federal legislation dealing with employers’ responsibilities during the pandemic. Diane Campanile: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), effective on April 1, provides sick leave and extended family leave to employees who are out of work for a number of reasons related to COVID‑19. The extended family leave portion of the act covers employees who need to care for children 14 years old and under who are not attending a school building or do not have proper childcare as a result of COVID‑19. Employees are being asked to return to work at a time when our schools and childcare centers are IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PEOPLE-DYNAMICS.
Diane Campanile: I started People-Dynamics in 2018 after serving for many years in HR in both public and private organizations at various levels. People-Dynamics concentrates on assisting small to mid-size organizations in need of HR expertise and assistance. Our focus is on employer compliance. I received my formal education from West Chester University, the Wharton School of Business, and Villanova University. I am enrolled at Tulane Law School.
telecommuting, laid off, or reporting to their regular place of work each day. It will need to be determined whether temporary layoffs and furloughs constitute a separation of employment; that will determine whether employees who are brought back need rehire or new hire paperwork. Another task is designing offices that provide social distancing, developing policies and procedures that keep employees safe, and working to create and sustain a positive culture. It will be necessary to enforce social distancing and hygiene measures and to clean workspaces sufficiently. Offices with open floor plans and cubicles pose a challenge, particularly with regard to cleaning the cubicles, many of which are made of fabric, and figuring out how to distance them. Daily sanitation is going to be required.
