Businesses let employees work from home to look after children, avoid corona virus
Employees of many companies are being given the opportunity to work remotely after the education sector in some provinces and cities gave students a week off from school.
3.7 million students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are off from school from February 3 to 9 to prevent the acute respiratory infection caused by the new coronavirus (nCoV). In this situation, some businesses have allowed employees to register to work remotely so that they can combine it with childcare.
Appota Vietnam Joint Stock Company - an entertainment technology enterprise (Lang Ha, Hanoi) said it will support employees with school-age children to work online at home if they cannot arrange for a babysitter.
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Students at schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have a week off. Photo:Ngoc Thanh |
A technology company headquartered in Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, also announced on February 3 that female employees in the content department can register to work online. However, only employees who register with the human resources department can clock in, otherwise they will be counted as on leave.
In addition, in case of an urgent meeting, they still have to be present at the office. For employees working online, this company also requires them to regularly update their health status every day. If anyone has a fever or cough, the company's epidemic response center staff will call to update their health status twice a day.
A cybersecurity company in Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, also immediately issued a policy to support company members who have difficulty arranging childcare after the decision from the Department of Education and Training. This policy, according to the company's human resources department, is for families who have difficulty in childcare.
At another unit in Ba Dinh, on the morning of February 3, the management canceled meetings at the beginning of the week to create conditions for employees to stay home to look after their children. Along with that, the company also announced a change in communication methods, exchanging via text messages and emails.
In Ho Chi Minh City, many businesses also issue similar policies.A subsidiary of an American financial technology corporation with an office in Ho Chi Minh City has just approved employees with school-age children to work remotely from home. "All employees' plans to work remotely must be reported to their direct supervisor. All non-urgent business trips should be canceled within the next two weeks," the company announced to all employees.
Ride-hailing company "be" (Be Group) also encouraged all employees to work remotely this week, regardless of whether they have children or not. "In particular, employees returning to Ho Chi Minh City from provinces and cities where people infected with nCoV have been announced are required to work from home for 14 days," said the company's media representative.
