




































BANGLADESH JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

14 

 

MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 

 
           BJMSR VOL 5 NO 1 (2022) P-ISSN 2687-850X   E-ISSN 2687-8518 

 
            Available online at https://www.cribfb.com 

      Journal homepage: https://www.cribfb.com/journal/index.php/BJMSR 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Published by CRIBFB, USA 

 
                                                                                                                                            

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON HUMAN RESOURCE 

MANAGEMENT AND NON-FINANCIAL JOB SATISFACTION: EMPIRICAL 

EVIDENCE FROM THE RMG SECTOR OF BANGLADESH   

 
 Md. Azmir Sharif (a)1    Md. Atiqur Rahman  (b)     Mita Rani Mallik  (c)    

 

(a) Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, Bangladesh Army University of Science & Technology (BAUST), Saidpur Cantonment, Nilphamary, 

Bangladesh; E-mail: sharifazmir@gmail.com 
(b) Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, Pundra University of Science & Technology, Rangpur road, Gokul, Bogura, Bangladesh; E-mail: 
atiqurrahamancp@gmail.com  

(c) MBA in HRM, Dhaka University, Bangladesh; E-mail: mitaranim0@gmail.com 
 

 
A R T I C L E I N F O 

 
 

Article History: 
 

Received: 7th June 2022  
Accepted: 22nd July 2022 

Online Publication: 27th July 2022 

 
Keywords: 
 

Human Resource Management,  

Ready-Made Garment, Covid-19  

Non-Financial Job Satisfaction  

Working Environment, Job Safety 

 
JEL Classification Codes: 

 

      G32, F65, L66, L25, M41 

 
  

 
A B S T R A C T 

 
This study aims to assess the impact on Human Resource Management (HRM) practices of the Ready-

made Garments Sector, evaluate major changes due to COVID-19 in HRM, and examine employees' 

non-financial job satisfaction during COVID-19. This study collected data from 100 randomly selected 

respondents from Ready-made Garments of Bangladesh to accomplish these objectives. The findings 

show that job satisfaction (non-financial) has positive significant (p<0.05) relation with working 

environment conditions (WEC) and also has a positive significant (p<0.05) association with employee 

management relationship (EMR). In contrast, a similar positive correlation is also found between WEC 

and EMR. However, during COVID-19, non-financial job satisfaction, including hand sanitizer, soap, 

masks, sick leave, health safety issues, etc., was increased and indicated a satisfactory rank. This 

suggests that most firms maintain health issues, safety, and others during a pandemic, which enhances 

non-financial job satisfaction. On the contrary, financial benefits are reduced, loss of jobs, and lack of 

job safety increases, which cannot be ignored. Moreover, this study also recommends several policies 

that may improve the employees' productivity and the industry as a whole. 

 
 

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee CRIBFB, USA. This article is an open access article distributed 
under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).  

            

 

INTRODUCTION 

Since the liberation war, Bangladesh has been steadily working toward its goal of being a sustainable development country. 

Bangladesh's administration pursued a socialist economic model. Private sector development, industrialization, 

competitiveness, and human resource management (HRM) are all issues that need to be addressed and were not prioritized 

by the government or politicians. Bangladesh had remarkable economic growth after converting its economic policies from 

socialism to a free-market economy in the early 1990s. It presently has an industrial contribution to GDP of roughly 28.5 

percent. Ready Made Garment (RMG) is one of the booming manufacturing sectors with a greater contribution to the 

national economy of Bangladesh. RMG has been the main source of export for the last 25 years, and this sector employs 

more than 3 billion people in Bangladesh, of whom about 90% are poor and underprivileged women. This sector became 

important in generating employment, foreign exchange earnings, and contributing to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

Despite being a thriving national trade and finance sector, RMG is having trouble expanding its product lines, locating new 

markets, managing transport for product delivery due to inadequate infrastructure utilization, and creating backward and 

forward links. In addition, other significant issues with the RMG sector include poor working conditions and work practices 

(such as irregular factory pay) and a lack of social conformity, which contribute to frequent labor unrest and lower job 

satisfaction. 

Most of the people working in the RMG sector in Bangladesh are poor who live in rural areas and char lands and 

                                                      
1Corresponding author: ORCID ID: 200000-0002-3120-719X 
© 2022 by the authors. Hosting by CRIBFB. Peer review under responsibility of CRIBFB, USA.  

https://doi.org/10.46281/bjmsr.v5i1.1774 

 
To cite this article: Sharif, M. A., Rahman, M. A., & Mallik, M. R. (2022). INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON HUMAN RESOURCE 

MANAGEMENT AND NON-FINANCIAL JOB SATISFACTION: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE RMG SECTOR OF BANGLADESH. 

Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research, 5(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.46281/bjmsr.v5i1.1774 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
https://doi.org/10.46281/bjmsr.v5i1.1774
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3120-719X
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7029-150X
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2512-1434


Sharif et al., Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

 

15 

somehow connect with microfinance credit which gives credit at minimum conditions with high interest to the local poor 

people (Banu et al., 2021), has background role for moving people of char lands (Hoque et al., 2021) and rural areas to 

special urban garments sector jobs. Another reason they enter into job sectors early with low payment is a lack of education 

and training on special skills (Hoque et al., 2021). Instruction takes time, and most of them have little capital, so they are 

interested in income-earning activities early. On the contrary, they are mainly involved with agriculture (Rabbani & Ahmad, 

2021), which also influences their specialization in agriculture. In the financial crisis, they have very few options, including 

the RMG sector for the job. COVID-19 has shaken all organizations to their core because of an unavoidable and hard 

environment for human resource management (HRM) practitioners who must create inventive ways to maintain their 

organizations' existence and assist their people in coping with this new crisis. By examining the impact of COVID-19 on 

HRM, this work intends to broaden the area of management research. It observes the significant challenges and opportunities 

that have evolved because of this epidemic. This research will help these sector HRM professionals to gain insight into 

future directions of the company development that may come into view because of these opportunities. This epidemic has 

undoubtedly brought a tough and stressful phase for human resource management practitioners. HRM professionals need to 

think out of the box to keep their businesses in a stable position and assist their staff in coping with new problems. HRM 

practitioners require relevant information to help them navigate this crisis effectively and efficiently. Studies on COVID-

19 impact on HRM in the RMG sector are not in large number, so it is difficult for the HRM practitioners to know the 

challenges and problems. The major purpose of this study is to look into the influence of COVID-19 on HRM and identify 

the issues. This research also provides recommendations for future HRM orientations in Bangladesh's RMG sector. This 

research will help management from a scientific standpoint and give them a vast area from the research point of view.  

 

Non-Financial Job Satisfaction 

The success of an organization largely depends on its employee's job satisfaction (alternatively said as employee satisfaction 

or workplace satisfaction). Staff is satisfied by providing financial or non-financial benefits. In one of his studies, Clifford 

(1985) noted that various types of rewards or benefits have relationships with employees' job satisfaction. Employees who 

are highly satisfied with their work conditions become more productive and loyal to their work.  

However, the organization also provide different types of non-financial benefits and facilities to enhance job 

satisfaction and increase the motivation level of their employee. We can define non-financial benefits as that employees will 

not get any monetary value or amount but will be satisfied with it. These types of benefits are considered intrinsic benefits 

also. 

Non-financial job satisfaction plays a vital role in satisfying and motivating employees. Providing a supportive 

working environment; maintaining manager-employee good relations; giving work flexibility; ensuring health and hygiene 

for officers; apprising for good work, and arranging training for staff organizations can satisfy employees at some or no 

cost.    

Non-financial benefits give considerable levels of employee satisfaction at no cost. In the covid-19 situation, RMG 

faces various problems and financial threats also. Non-monetary benefits have been a key element in improving employee 

satisfaction to increase productivity and sustain competitive advantage.  

 

Objectives of the Study 
 To know about the scenario of Bangladesh’s RMG industries during COVID-19. 

 To assess the impact on HRM practices and evaluate major changes due to COVID-19 in HRM. 

 To find out employees' non-financial job satisfaction during COVID-19. 

 

This particular research is all about the ready-made garments industry. This sector's human resource practices and 

the challenges they face in this pandemic. This research tries to get information on how HR practitioners handle this crisis. 

As a result, this study will help identify the problems which can be resolved easily. Also, allow them to make this epidemic 

an opportunity. 

 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

Human Resource Management methods boost organizational performance and competitive advantage (Absar, 2014). 

Employee turnover, productivity, and job unhappiness are all exacerbated by a lack of proper HRM practices. However, 

successful implementation of HRM techniques can help to improve overall organizational performance and growth (Absar, 

2014). Incompetence in HRM procedures always impacts organizational competitiveness, as the staff is the most important 

aspect in achieving quality results. Inadequate workforce planning is an important key issue in human resource management, 

as well as personnel shortages and surpluses, which represent the reality of HRM practices incompatible with business 

objectives. For many years, the ready-made garments industry's human resource management practices have been a popular 

area of research. However, despite the fact that Bangladesh's ready-made garments business is a thriving industry, there 

have been insufficient studies undertaken in this field in Bangladesh. A standardized questionnaire was used to conduct a 

study in several ready-made clothes factories in Dhaka, and the results were objectively assessed. The study recommends 

that relevant authorities should be aware of employee training to improve employee performance and the organization's 

performance. The impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) 

industry is discussed in this study (Worldometer, 2020). No such measures were noticed prior to the state or BGMEA 

reopening the RMG factories to protect RMG workers from any health concerns. The decision to reopen the plants was 

made solely for economic reasons. 

 



Sharif et al., Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

 

16 

               Without a doubt, authorities and factory owners have chosen to preserve their livelihoods over their workers' lives 

by reopening factories when the COVID-19 pandemic is still a significant threat. European and North American countries 

are actively fighting the second wave of COVID-19 following importation, but countries with a more vulnerable healthcare 

system are in danger, like Bangladesh. The policies and procedures involved in carrying out the "Human Resource (HR)" 

aspects of a management position, such as HR planning, job analysis, recruitment, selection, orientation, compensation, 

performance appraisal, training and development, and labor relations, are collectively referred to as human resource 

management (HRM) (Dessler, 2007; Khan, 2010). HRM is a crucial organizational resource that aids an organization's 

ability to sustain itself and remain competitive (Marchington & Wilkinson, 2008; Schuler, 1990; Absar et al., 2010). It is a 

crucial factor that affects various employee attitudes and behaviors, including intent to leave, degrees of job satisfaction, 

and organizational commitment (Lee, 2000; Sarker, 2014). Many researchers have looked into Bangladesh's garment 

industry's health, hygiene, and safety concerns (Hossain, 2007). According to researchers, the RMG sector's working 

conditions are subpar and don't fulfill ILO criteria. The following are only a few of them: 

Labor laws and rights are regularly ignored at RMG factories in Bangladesh. Additionally, because of the 

unhygienic environment, workers contract various diseases, and many workers are killed in industrial accidents, fires, and 

panicked stampedes. The lack of effective steps to ensure the enforceability of current legislation protecting employees' 

rights and maintaining workplace safety worries the RMG sector. Management does not effectively address the safety and 

physical comfort of female employees. 

Discrimination in salaries, insufficient maternity leave, weekly holiday, and infant care system are all human acts 

by security guards toward female workers. The industrial structure hasn't enough fire exits and air circulation openings. In 

most garment factories, the fire and smoke alarm bells don't work, and many don't have a fire and smoke alarm system. Due 

to the sector's importance as a source of foreign exchange, various modifications are required. Several studies have looked 

into the working conditions in Bangladesh's garment industry. 

Workers in the RMG sector do not have access to a safe and healthy working environment that follows neither the 

BLA of 2006 nor the ILO-based international standard. According to Kumar (2006), Garment workers are concerned about 

an unsafe work environment and inadequate working conditions. Employers treat RMG workers like slaves, mistreating 

them to increase profit margins and keep their industry competitive in the face of growing foreign competition. Working 

conditions in the RMG industry frequently break international labor regulations and codes of conduct. Regulatory measures, 

as well as their strict implementation and monitoring by government agencies, were also suggested to address the workplace 

security concerns of Bangladeshi garment workers. Occupational dangers such as musculoskeletal ailments and infectious 

infections are common in overcrowded work environments with limited workplaces. Fire and building collapse injuries, 

deaths, disablement, and death are common in the RMG sector. Job loss and a pay cut Bangladesh's RMG sector began to 

face challenges considerably sooner than the rest of the world. The initial difficulties were procuring raw materials after 

China's business activity was suspended as the illness spread across the country. China is a major source of raw materials 

for the industry. This also accounts for a sizable chunk of Bangladesh's multibillion-dollar Chinese imports. Because of the 

diversification of supply chains and the liberalization of commercial operations in China, the raw materials issue has finally 

been resolved. Then there were the cancellations, putting the sector's survival in peril. 

The management of people is the focus of human resource management. When managers engage in human resource 

tasks as part of their job, they aim to make it easier for people to contribute to the organization's goals and objectives. Human 

resource management refers to actions designed to support and coordinate human efforts to contribute to the organization's 

goals. 

Since the COVID-19 threat became all-too-real in Bangladesh at the beginning of March 2020, labor leaders have 

demanded factory closures to protect workers from contracting the deadly virus. Initially, the government strongly opposed 

industrial closures, claiming that workers' safety would be prioritized. While factory safety and entry were hot topics of 

discussion among labor leaders, the government, and the owners' organization, safety and cleanliness outside the plants 

were only addressed in passing. There were no clear programs or policies to guarantee that workers did not get the virus 

outside the plants. 

 Though the government decided to cut the workforce in all organizations by half due to the increase in Covid-

19 infections and deaths, ready-made garment owners have continued running factories at full force while adhering to health 

recommendations. They express concern about the government mandate, claiming that full-force factory production is 

required to deliver items on the schedule, avoiding order cancellations or deferred payments. They also stated that keeping 

the industry running during the countrywide shutdown was the only way to keep the economy alive. According to a recent 

survey, more than half of Bangladesh's export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) producers have had to accept orders of 

products at a lower rate than the previous rate in the event of an emergency caused by the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. 

 HRM methods can increase productivity by raising the standard of employees' work lives (Huselid, 1995). HRM 

policies improve employee skills by acquiring and developing a firm's human capital. This research examines the current 

HR conditions in the RMG industry in Bangladesh, focusing on employment conditions and HR practices such as 

performance appraisal. In today's business world, evaluating employee performance is standard practice. The importance of 

performance appraisal in a business has long been recognized. In most firms, employee performance evaluations are a hot 

topic. One reason for this is that performance appraisal judgments have an impact on employee salary and recognition. The 

research aims to assess the state of human resource management in the RMG industry. The primary research goals are to 

determine the sector's recruitment, job analysis, training and development, performance evaluation, and remuneration 

system following the completion of the study. Workers' health, well-being, and occupational safety are being protected 

through various initiatives. According to some surveys, factories must exercise health safety procedures regularly to reopen 

the business. These procedures are examples of these healthy measure temperature checks, masks, hand washing, hand 



Sharif et al., Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

 

17 

sanitizer, and maintaining social distance while at work. Considering the conditions under which businesses will operate in 

the coming year and how to prepare for future crises, we must remember to put the worker first. The crisis can be handled 

by ensuring worker safety, establishing worker protection mechanisms in the event of job loss, and creating financial tools 

to maintain liquidity. Building a positive relationship between the owner and the employees requires early intervention and 

proactive action to create a meaningful interaction between the parties involved. All of these are incorporated into HR 

procedures. All stakeholders have a role to play, including the Bangladesh government, foreign organizations, brands, 

suppliers, and labor unions. 

The loss in this period is huge. Only the RMG owners cannot handle or improve the condition by implying HR 

strategies. To ensure the economy's long-term viability, the government must increase support for backward linkage traders, 

lower tariffs, and lift other tariffs to protect domestic industries. Innovation, product quality development, and skill 

development should all be prioritized. It is necessary to lower the cost of doing business. Good governance must be followed. 

Previous studies show the effect of COVID-19 on the performance of the firms, RMG sectors, and other firms on a 

percentage basis and descriptive statistics only, such as Syed (2020), Khanam (2021), Kabir et al. (2021), Ali et al. (2021), 

Akpa et al. (2022) and Abdou et al. (2022) were the most recent work identified. Still, this study tries to capture the issues 

with perception index as well as with correlations analysis. 

 

CURRENT STATUS AND DIFFICULTIES OF BANGLADESH'S RMG SECTOR 

In the 60th decade of the 19th century, the foundation of the textile industry was initially laid. In 1965–1966, the industry 

exported shirts (Mercury shirts), made in Karachi, for the first time to the European market. Nine exporting industries were 

available in the latter in 1977–1978. Riaz Garments, Jewel Garments, and Paris Garments were the three biggest industries 

at the time. The most well-known and established of these was Riaz Garments at the time. The establishment of the clothing 

sector benefited greatly from the quota system. Bangladesh gained a great deal from using that. As a result, the clothing 

business has developed today. But in 2004, as the quota system was ready to terminate, many people became concerned 

about Bangladesh's RMG industry. Even while the latter cannot be affected here, as the experts seemed to believe, it 

overcame the post-quota challenges and turned that story into a success. According to private figures, there are currently 

more than 5000 garment factories in Bangladesh's RMG sector, employing more than 12 million workers, of which 85% 

are women. However, the BGMEA estimates that there are about 4000 garment factories in Bangladesh. With exports worth 

over $24.49 billion in the most recent fiscal year, the RMG sector is currently the nation's greatest foreign exchange earner. 

The fact that Bangladesh has a much higher capacity for ready-made clothing than other South Asian suppliers is fantastic 

news. 

Even though Bangladesh's RMG sector is the second-largest clothing exporter, it faces numerous challenges. The 

lack of safety at work and poor working conditions for the millions of garment workers are currently the RMG sector's 

biggest issues. It has become a significant challenge for Bangladesh's forthcoming fiscal year. Political stability is an 

additional crucial factor. The Tazreen fire and the Rana Plaza collapse, two important events in Bangladesh's RMG industry, 

have highlighted the importance of worker safety and prompted all relevant parties to take appropriate action. However, the 

formation of numerous platforms like the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, the Alliance for Bangladesh 

Worker Safety, and the National Plan of Action in response to the regrettable incidents, aim to enhance the building and fire 

safety of Bangladesh's garment industry, is good news for the RMG sector. 

Additionally, BGMEA and BKMEA are collaborating here to find solutions to these kinds of issues. They have 

also invested significant money and completed the appropriate steps. The Bangladeshi RMG industry is negatively impacted 

by political stability. If it persists, eliminating our most important industry will be a huge blow. Therefore, political leaders 

should act quickly to address these issues. 

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 

Study Areas, Sample Size and Data Collection 

This study is a qualitative investigation. This design involved assessing a cross-section or sample of a population using 

surveys or questionnaires at a single point in time to deduce findings for the entire population. This study was based on 

primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected from 100 randomly selected respondents, all of whom have been 

invited to participate in this inquiry. To acquire the necessary information, an online survey was conducted with the 

managers at the head office and the factories and interviews with their staff. 100 personnel from the head office were 

included in a convenient sampling for data collecting. As of the sample size, the respondents were employees of different 

Garments Ltd. The "Convenient Sampling Method" is used as a point of clarification. It will assist in identifying and 

practically solving the problem. This study summarized the data, and analysis was done through correlation analysis in 

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 version because the sample size was small, and when sample sizes are 

small then, it easy to analysis the data through correlation analysis.  

 

Correlation Analysis 

Coefficient correlation measures the strength of the relationship between variables ranging from -1 to +1, where 0 means 

no relationship, 1 refers exact relationship, -1 means a strong negative relationship, and +1 refers to a strong positive 

relationship that existed among the variables (Taylor, 1990 and Aguero et al., 2006). 

 

𝑟 =
∑ (𝑥𝑖 − 𝑥)((𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦)𝑛
𝑖=1

√[∑ (𝑥𝑖 − �̅�)2𝑛
𝑖=1 ][∑ (𝑦𝑖 − �̅�)2𝑛

𝑖=1 ]
 



Sharif et al., Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

 

18 

Where,  

r =    correlation coefficient 

𝑥𝑖 =    values of the x-variable in a sample 

�̅� =    mean of the values of the x-variable 

𝑦𝑖  =    values of the y-variable in a sample 

�̅� =    mean of the values of the y-variable 

 
Measurement of Respondents’ Attitudes Towards Jobs 

To fulfill the third objective of this paper, a three-point Likert scale was used in this analysis, including agree, neutral, and 

disagree. Researchers commonly use this to measure the respondents' attitudes on a particular issue (Burns & Burns, 2008; 

Kulsum et al., 2019). This formula is given below: 

 

𝐴𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 = (3 × 𝐴𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒) + (1 × 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒) + (2 × 𝑁𝑒𝑢𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙) 
 

Here, Agree means the respondents agreed with the statement, Disagree means the respondents have disagreed 

with the statement, and Neutral means either the respondents do not know the statement or s/he does not want to reply. 

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION 

Estimated Result of Correlation 

Table 1 shows the result of the correlation stating that the variable under considering Job Satisfaction (JS) is related to 

Working Environment Conditions (WEC) and Employee Management Relationship (EMR), which is statistically significant 

(p<0.05) that the relationship is significant at 0.05 level of confidence. Another variable, WEC, is also related to EMR at a 

5% significance level, indicating a positive relationship between variables. This result represents a positive relationship 

among the variables, highlighting employee satisfaction with their non-financial job facilities.  

 

Table 1. Estimated Result of Correlations 

 
Variables 

 

Job Satisfaction (JS) 

 

Working Environment 

Conditions (WEC) 

Employee Management 

Relationship (EMR) 

JS Pearson Correlation 1 0.350** 0.259** 

Sig. (2-tailed)  0.000 0.009 

N 100 100 100 

WE Pearson Correlation 0.350** 1 0.267** 

Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000  0.007 

N 100 100 100 

EMR Pearson Correlation 0.259** 0.267** 1 

Sig. (2-tailed) 0.009 0.007  

N 100 100 100 

Source: Author's own calculation from field survey, 2020-21. ** refers to a 5% level of significance 

 

COVID-19 and Attitudes of the Respondents Towards Jobs 

Table 2 below shows the respondents' perception of their jobs and the facilities provided during COVID-19. Most 

respondents agreed that their firms maintained the health care safety (hand wash, mask, and disinfection booth) of the 

COVID-19, which was ranked first and scored 293. This indicated that the firms are aware of the COVID-19 and ensured 

the safety issue of their workers during COVID-19. The second importance was given to the maintenance of the protocol 

due to COVID-19 with points of 288; the third was given to the environmental safety issue for the employees by their firms. 

The fourth position was the higher rate of fire from the jobs during COVID-19. This clearly shows the immediate 

shock of the pandemic situation. Likewise, the lowest score was found for sick leave grants for the employees scoring 140, 

which was ranked as 17. In contrast, another is 160 notified in incentives and benefits given to the employees during COVID-

19. This indicates that most employers were not providing many financial benefits and sick leave to the employees, which 

should be increased to ensure higher productivity.  

 
Table 2. Attitudes of the respondents towards jobs during COVID-19 

 
Sl. No. Statement Agree  Neutral Disagree Total Rank 

1. Employee working environment is Safe 89 02 09 280 3 

2. Provide health care safety (hand wash, mask, and disinfection booth). 93 07 0 293 1 

3. Follows COVID-19 protocol 92 04 04 288 2 

4. Medical facility given 42 20 38 204 13 

5. The organization helps to get the vaccine 73 0 27 246 9 

6. Salary is given on a regular basis 60 20 20 240 11 

7. Sick Leave is given 10 10 80 140 17 

8. Sick leave with pay is given 38 16 46 192 14 

9. Incentives and benefits are given 14 32 54 160 16 

10. Gives training to the employees 82 11 7 275 5 

11. Evaluate employee performance strictly 64 2 14 210 12 

12. Evaluate the Working efficiency of the employees 73 11 16 257 7 



Sharif et al., Bangladesh Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research 5(1) (2022), 14-20 

 

19 

13. Labor laws are followed 79 12 9 270 6 

14. During the COVID-19 pay cut issued 84 7 9 275 5 

15. Employees get fired 89 0 11 278 4 

16. Employee turnover happens frequently 48 32 20 248 8 

17. Job security high 28 19 53 175 15 

18. Employee and manager relation is good 76 14 10 266 6 

19. Management and labor union relation is good 63 19 18 245 10 

Source: Authors’ own computation from field survey, 2020-2021 

 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

In Bangladesh, the concept of human resource management is relatively new. To maintain legal compliances, HRM is now 

receiving greater attention due to the growth of MNC companies and NGO activities. Due to its substantial sales volume on 

the international market, the RMG sector in Bangladesh plays a significant role in the economy. However, due to the 

suspension of the Generalized System of Preferences, this sector is experiencing business difficulties (GSP). Health and 

safety issues are caused by some RMG industry accidents, such as the Rana Plaza collapse and the Tazreen Fashions firing. 

Now, COVID-19 has created economic havoc in this sector and the employee well-being management during this pandemic 

situation. Employee involvement in labor unrest has grown as the working conditions in this industry deteriorate. According 

to the results of this study, HRM practice is influenced by financial and non-financial elements. The employees will be 

happier and less likely to participate in labor unrest if the company can offer them appropriate financial and non-financial 

rewards. Therefore, it can be stated that implementing sound HRM procedures can be a different approach to lowering 

unrest in Bangladesh's RMG industry. Since there isn't enough data to know how long COVID-19 can survive on diverse 

surfaces, the virus could likely transcend international borders if COVID-19-infected workers produce the clothing. COVID-

19 has an impact on a variety of economic sectors in addition to the RMG industry. Assistance to the RMG industry, the 

largest contributor to urban poverty reduction, may help other associated sectors in the supply chain and normalize the 

economy significantly and faster. Most RMG businesses in Bangladesh do not run formal orientation programs or 

recruitment and selection processes. As a result, when employees begin their jobs, they do not know what the company does 

or its purpose. Employees are unaware of what is required of them by their bosses at the same time. RMG organizations 

should follow formal recruitment, selection, and orientation program. Several steps can be adopted based on the existed 

present problems for betterment given below. 

 Fair job appraisal practices and exit interviews are essential for every organization if it wants to keep talented 

employees and identify the causes of employee turnover. 

 This study also found that only a small number of RMG employers provide adequate medical and healthcare 

services. Employers must pay attention to this to give the workers access to health care facilities. 

 Employers must provide friends and family perks (such as daycare facilities, subsidized meals at the staff cafeteria, 

transit facilities, etc.) to help employees balance work and family life.  

 The employer should be sensitive to the needs of the employees' families and provide a comprehensive range of 

job-related benefits, such as paid sick days, a separate sanitary facility, flexible work hours, and workplace safety 

and security. 

 Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that improving job satisfaction requires financial and non-

financial facilities. Therefore, non-financial HRM activities should receive special attention. 

 To prevent legal issues in the event of discrimination, RMG enterprises should adhere to equity and Equal 

Employment Opportunity compliance. 

After ensuring all of the above mentions strictly enforced and maintained, we can hope to have a better environment in our 

RMG sectors which will also draw the young talented, skilled job seekers to build their future in this sector which also 

enhances the contribution of this sector in the economy as a whole.  

 
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.A.S. and M.R.M.; Data Curation, M.R.M. and M.A.R.; Methodology, M.A.S.; Validation, M.A.S. and 
M.A.R.; Visualization, M.A.S. and M.R.M.; Formal Analysis, M.A.S. and M.R.M.; Investigation, M.A.S. and M.A.R.; Resources, M.A.S., M.R.M. and 

M.A.R.; Writing – Original Draft, M.A.S. and M.R.M.; Writing – Review & Editing, M.A.S. and M.A.R.; Supervision, M.A.S., Software, M.A.S.; Project 

Administration, M.A.S.; Funding Acquisition, M.A.S. and M.A.R. Authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. 

Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, due to that the research does not deal with vulnerable 

groups or sensitive issues. 

Funding: The authors received no direct funding for this research. 

Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. 

Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available 

due to restrictions. 

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.  

 
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