The COVID-19 pandemic is of global scale but each country faces their own unique challenges. The Philippines has been enforcing community quarantines and lockdowns since the beginning of the pandemic early 2020. The limited supply of vaccines, government structure, logistics and local capability, and vaccine hesitancy all played a part in the slow rollout of the vaccine. The vaccine is needed to achieve herd immunity, a prerequisite before the economy can get back to some sort of normalcy and with the current progress, that would be some time next year. Retuer’s data suggests that the vaccine rollout is only enough for around 19.5% of the population to be fully vaccinated.
The partial closing of the economy hit businesses hard, with some industries more devastated than others. The lockdowns discouraged people from going around and catching or spreading the virus and therefore the government encouraged remote work. Remote Work was the perfect compromise for businesses subject to community quarantines as transportation guidelines have become stricter and more and more establishments and places of work were continuously closed down for positive cases. Remote Work meant minimizing people that needed to be outside while being able to still operate the business. It is not without any challenges especially in the technology side. Internet speed and capable devices are top of mind when it comes to concerns for remote work.
Let us dig deeper to these challenges through a C.A.S.E. study.
This year, the Philippines broke into the top 100 in the world rankings for internet speed. According to a Speedtest’s Global Index, the country is currently ranked 63rd in August 2021 clocking in at 72.56 in the fixed broadband category while the mobile 33.77 mbps in mobile. According to the same report, the global average now sits at 110.24 mbps and 56.74 respectively.
Singapore currently has the fastest fixed broadband speed at 262.20 mbps while the United Arab Emirates has the fast mobile speed at 195.52.
The recent entry of new service providers and the overall improvement of performance by the existing big players helped stabilize the connection issues in the Philippines.
Although there is an overall improvement in internet speeds, it is important to take note that almost everybody currently works at home and relies on a primary stable internet connection. If a family of four shares this average speed, doing online classes and remote work at the same time, bounds to affect actual speed and therefore one’s performance. It is more challenging to those who don’t have access to fixed broadband like condominium or apartment renters who rely on their mobile data subscriptions.
On paper, an employee should be available almost all day especially with all the community quarantines. But in reality, the dynamics in one’s home has drastically changed. Able bodied individuals are appointed to do most of the errands that require going to the public- going to the bank, doing the groceries, and perhaps even paying utilities. Markets, banks, and other establishments currently operate on a shorter timeframe and even implement shifting schedules at times to cut costs. People also tend to be more hands on with household chores these days as well in accordance with safety and health guidelines. Lastly, we must also consider that employees also need to tend to their families- children taking care of their elderly parents and parents taking care of their young children.
Most errands can be planned even vaccination schedules are announced ahead of time, but these activities most likely are only doable during work hours which might also be their own work hours.
If there is something good realized in this pandemic, it is that there are activities that can be done remotely. We have come to appreciate that meetings can be done virtually and some tasks can be done by just providing details and a deadline.
We also come to terms with the fact that being together in the same physical space at the same time is the best way to support someone- employee and clients alike. There are just things that are better done in person which often balances out technology and capability differences between members of the team or even stakeholders. There are platforms that exist that enable you to remotely control another device but it is still subject to technology and both parties’ availability.
Support doesn’t end in the business process, but as employers and HR personnel, emotional and mental support must be extended. Burnout and fatigue go hand in hand and they are very rampant with the ongoing pandemic. Being isolated and grief are also to be considered in these uncertain times. The previously mentioned Reuters data suggests that there is at least a new case of COVID infection per 10,000 people.
Everyone is hit by this pandemic. Some struggle more than others so it is important to let them know that their job and personal safety is your priority. This means that you are trying your best to provide them jobs by being profitable and by requiring them to go to the office only when it is necessary. You can also encourage your people to take leaves just to reflect and refresh.
Engaging with your employees and with your clients is quite a challenge these days. There are both business and personal factors that arise because of the pandemic. It is important to find the best way to communicate with your stakeholders. A periodic and constant town hall or group meeting is quite helpful for everyone to catch up with tasks and check how each team member is doing. Periodic follow ups and touch bases with your clients are also encouraged just to let them know that aside from their business with you, you are also keeping them in mind beyond the money. You must also determine how to personally approach each one of them based on their preferences to avoid miscommunication for both employees and clients. Some people prefer texts and emails while some people are not big fans of phone calls. It is important to get to know them to be able to find the best way to get your message across in a safe and comfortable space for everyone.
Throughout this C.A.S.E. Study, we can see how Communication is key for progress and productivity during the New Normal Setup. Remote Work is not perfect but it still allows us to coordinate with each other but it is still with a lot of disadvantages that lead to confusion. As employers and owners, it is important to adapt to changes and empathize with employees in order to create an encouraging environment for the business to survive and push through these dark times.
Clockworx is a FIlipino made Human Resource Information System (HRIS) that adapts local government taxes and policies. It recently added a per project and account feature that enables teams to gauge productivity and costs per project/account.
For more details, you can contact info@itechsystemsolutions.com