SHL
People Science. People Answers.
  • Solutions
    • Virtual
      • RemoteWorkQ
      • Coding Interview
      • Smart Interview Live
      • Smart Interview On Demand
      • Virtual Assessment & Development Centers
    • Talent Acquisition
      • Tech
      • Volume
      • Graduate
      • Professional
      • Manager
    • Talent Management
      • Leader Assessment & Development
      • High Potential
      • Succession Planning
      • Workforce Review
      • Mobilize
    • Services
      • Professional Services
      • Managed Services
      • Training Services
      • Integrated Solutions
  • Assessments
    • Assessments
      • Behavioral Assessments
      • Personality Assessments
      • Cognitive Ability Assessments
      • Job-Focused Assessments
    • Assessments Catalog
    • TalentCentral™
  • Resources
    • View by Type
      • Blogs
      • Podcasts
      • Webinars & Events
    • View by Topic
      • AI in Talent Assessment
      • Gender Diversity: Mind the Gap
      • Hiring the Best Tech Talent
      • The Promise of Gen Z
      • Women in Leadership Report
  • Customers
    • Success Stories
    • Testimonials
    • ROI Calculators
  • Company
    • Careers
    • Leadership Team
    • Global Offices
    • Newsroom
    • Awards & Accolades
    • Channel Partners
  • Get Started
  • English
    • Deutsch
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • 简体中文
  • Contact Us
  • Buy Online

Can we help you?   1-800-899-7451 (US)   0330 100 3435 (UK)

SHL Blog Our Insights on the 21st Century Workplace

  • View By Recent
  • View By Category
    • Assessment and Selection
    • Data and Analytics
    • Develop and Accelerate
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Life at SHL
    • Workforce Trends
  • View By Popular Topic
    • AI
    • HR Technology
    • Candidate Experience
    • Talent Strategy
    • Digitalization
    • Organizational Culture
    • Workplace Diversity
  • Subscribe
Life at SHL

On World Health Day, Portraits of Service and Thanks from SHL

SHL colleagues share stories of friends and family battling on the front lines of COVID-19.

April 7, 2020 SHL Editor COVID-19 Response, Social Impact

blog-virus-PI001

Today is the 70th World Health Day, and perhaps none of its predecessors has carried the same weight. 

We are engulfed in a global pandemic, bringing hospitals in all parts of the world near their breaking points and leaving families held hostage in their homes. There is concern, there is doubt, there is fear.  

Into that fear has walked an army of healthcare workers. Nurses, doctors, EMTs, maintenance workers and more, placing their own well-being – their health – at great risk, day after day. SHL is a people business, and we wanted to take a moment today to offer our thanks to the medical teams who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We have seen many examples of how the world has shown its gratitude – from collective cheers across cities at a predetermined hour, to businesses sending meals or coffee to hospitals in thanks. Social media platforms are brimming with video evidence of individual acts of kindness and acknowledgement. 

Closer to home, some of our colleagues at SHL have a front-row seat to the battle. Nick, one of our U.S.-based team members, is married to a nurse practitioner. “To me, my wife is a hero,” he says. “She doesn’t tend to ‘bring work home’ as we do, but you certainly carry the emotions and visions of the day home with you always – something I can’t imagine, nor would I wish for.” 

Another of our colleagues, William, is based in the U.K. and has a sister who is a doctor in a London hospital. “[She is] looking after hundreds of patients with COVID-19, after being only one year out of medical school,” he says. “This week she hasn’t been able to work due to suspected contraction. Whilst off work, we have been trying to get iPads donated to the hospitals, so patients can see their loved ones.” 

We have seen many examples of how the world has shown its gratitude. 

Near our headquarters outside London, SHL recently donated masks to a local children’s hospice. Shooting Star Hospice tweeted its response: “A huge thank you to @SHLglobal for donating 150 much needed surgical masks to our hospice yesterday!” 

Finally, Kristina, another of our U.S.-based colleagues, spoke to a friend who serves as a nurse and got some thoughts from the front line on the kinds of gestures and expressions that matter to those placing themselves in COVID-19’s line of fire. 

“Some of us have gotten a lot of fan mail, which has been quite uplifting,” she said. “Something I’ve personally enjoyed is the sidewalk chalk with jokes and words of encouragement. When we get outside for a walk it’s sweet to see the support from our communities around the neighborhood.” 

But the thank-you that doctors and nurses appreciate the most is the simplest: “The biggest and most appreciated contribution that anyone can give to healthcare workers right now,” she says, “is just staying home.” 

There is an obvious irony to today’s designation of World Health Day during a global pandemic, but it is also a day to celebrate the ingenuity, spirit, and hope embodied by those giving so much of themselves to bring about the pandemic’s end. 

Nick sums it up well: “Thank you for being with these patients while their families cannot, and thank you for doing all of this knowing that you may not be able to see your own families for an unknown period of time,” he says. “Thank you for your courage to battle this for those who cannot.”

From all of us at SHL, to all of you: Thank you. 

Share

Author

SHL Editor

SHL Editor

Members of SHL staff from across the organization collaborated to research and write this article.
SHL’s History Tells the Story of Our Past and Provide Fuel for Our Future 5 Top Tips for Balancing People and Business during COVID-19

Related Posts

blog-insights-by-andy-how-to-create-a-leadership-team-ready

Leadership

Insights by Andy: How to Create a Leadership Team Ready for Industry 4.0

Examples of how leaders across different industries adapted to the increased speed of change during the pandemic.

blog-groundhog-UN001

Life at SHL

Lessons We Can Learn on Groundhog Day in 2021

How to emerge from a difficult year with courage and compassion for our colleagues, neighbors, and loved ones.

blog-woman-on-phone-SH009

Leadership

Managing Remote Teams: We Are in It for the Long Haul

5 ways that people leaders can help develop sustainable working habits with their remote teams as we enter the second phase of lockdown.

Recent Stories

  • Neurodiverse Recruitment: Research to Understand the Candidate Experience

    Neurodiverse Recruitment: Research to Understand the Candidate Experience

    7 hours ago
  • How Technology Can Make a Real Change in DEI Efforts

    How Technology Can Make a Real Change in DEI Efforts

    1 day ago
  • More Than Awareness: Autistic People Deserve Acceptance in the Workplace

    More Than Awareness: Autistic People Deserve Acceptance in the Workplace

    6 days ago

Related Stories

Insights by Andy: How to Create a Leadership Team Ready for Industry 4.0
Parenting through the Pandemic: We Can Do This
The Importance of Mental Health Programs in the Workplace

© 2021 SHL and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Follow SHL

LinkedIn Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram

Keep Up with Our Blog Follow SHL on social media to find out when a new article has been shared.