Working Amid COVID 19 Threat

Working Amid COVID 19 Threat

For the past weeks, it may have been a nightmare to so many Filipinos. The dangers of COVID 19 was not realized until the first local transmission occurred in the early weeks of March. Most of the businesses have been paralyzed due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine. Our lives could not just stop because of this, thus, some companies then suggested that their employees continue to work from home. As part of the preventive measures and to ensure the safety of each and every one, working from home is the best option for employees.

Employees have been allowed to work from home because this is possible. It is for the safety of the employees and is a way of preventing further

 

 

spread of the virus. Particularly those kinds of jobs (clerical jobs) which you can literally work anywhere. The only thing that could be hindering the possibility is those who work on BPOs wherein confidential data should remain within the company. This is strongly encouraged to minimize the chances of contracting the disease. While some can work from home, a skeletal force remains to report in their respective offices.

Working from home is not something new to us. In fact, as early as 2010, there are those who have been working online via jobs offered by foreign companies. The jobs were not just limited to virtual assistant jobs, but, there are those who work in the IT department, as well. Practically, any kind of job can be done online these days.

The threat of COVID 19 may have been a blessing in a way because it has made busy employees spend more time with their families. They are lucky that somehow, their salaries are not affected because it is “business as usual”, just in a different setting.

Telecommuting allows the employees to receive the same rights, protection, and compensation as their counterparts who physically go to the office. Therefore, they are guaranteed that they still earn while they work at the comforts of their home.

Online Businesses

With the travel restrictions imposed, businesses have been impaired. Online sellers maybe, in a way, are getting more orders than usual because consumers now prefer to order their needs online than to go to supermarkets for their needs. Although supermarkets are not closed, still there are people who would not want to take the risk of being exposed because not all COVID 19 patients show any symptoms at all, thus you can never know if the person next to you has been exposed or not.

The only struggle with purchasing online is the availability of the couriers since food delivery has also doubled. Some people still wouldn’t give up on ordering from their favorite restaurants or probably, the fear of purchasing from supermarkets prevented them to buy fresh produce and meat so they prefer to have their food delivered instead.

For those who may want to earn a little extra to help them sustain the needs of the family, some may have started making food and offering them online. Some have availed this offer as a way of giving free food to our frontliners. We may have overlooked the importance of the roles of our health workers. What we have in mind was mostly that it is their duty to do their jobs. However, they also have their own families in which they sacrifice not being with them because the country needs them to look after the well-being of those who are sick.

One may ask if the purchasing power of consumers has declined. And I think it has somehow. Those who have enough money would not see any difference – they have just limited their trips of going to supermarkets and restaurants. But since they are capable of spending, calling for food delivery or ordering for other things that they need has no effect on their budget. But for an ordinary Juan, probably, they would stick to eating canned goods for a while until a cure for COVID 19 has been discovered or when the government announces that the country has become COVID19-free.

Strengthening Our Faith

There are articles that came out about how the world is trying to “downsize” with the proliferation of different diseases. If it is some form of “rebirth”, I am not sure. What I do know is that things happen for a reason and we could never question our Lord Almighty for all these. Indeed, it has created a catastrophe and developed severe fear, but one must remain hopeful that we all get past this. Praying helps our weary minds. If we know what to do in order to prevent it from further spreading, then we know that we can be safe. This is not the time to blame anyone for creating this widespread dilemma. Even if we know where the virus started, those people were not aware of the consequences. It has been part of their culture. It has just been unfortunate that a certain kind of disease developed and humanity suffered. Let us all continue for the healing of the world.

————————————————————————-

You may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome for questions and more information.

By email: [email protected]

FB Page: Armando Bartolome

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franguru/ 

Website: