Employees’ Experiences Working in COVID-19 Quarantine Hotel: Basis for Development of Crisis Management Framework

Abstract

Due to the Covid-19 virus, everything has undergone a significant pivot, including livelihood, access to medicine, and the movement of products and services. One of the most affected industries is the hospitality and tourism sector. There was a sudden shift from the regular operation of a hotel to becoming a quarantine facility for isolated guests. Hence, this research explored the employees' experiences working in the COVID-19 quarantine hotel as the basis for developing a human resource crisis management framework. This study utilized basic qualitative research. The researchers used the interview as its tool. Informants of the study were three front desk clerks, one housekeeping staff, one maintenance staff and one supervisor. Consequently, this study revealed that the hotel changes are adjustments to how operations are carried out, how services are provided, and how many staff choose to stay despite the risk of contamination. In accordance with that, most employees experienced psychological and physical problems due to the increased risk of contamination from the virus and the fact that the employees were separated from their families. It is recommended that hotel management should be advised to conduct essential orientations on the nature of the hotel and health protocols and to offer proper familiarization about Covid-19 for awareness. Management should formulate laying of expectations on the roles and responsibilities of each employee.