BUSINESS owners in Asia and the Pacific will implement a phased return to work instead of a full reopening to maintain social distancing in the workplace, according to a survey by a consulting firm.
In a poll by New York-based Mercer, two-thirds of firms in the Asia-Pacific region said they will stagger the return to work of their employees to allow social distancing in the workplace. In doing so, they plan to split the reentry of workers based on specific criteria.
The survey also showed nearly 42 percent of employers in the region will divide their workers in small groups to limit their physical interaction.
Roughly a third said they will permit their employees to decide for themselves whether to report to the workplace or do their duties remotely. The Mercer survey also reported one in every five firms in Asia-Pacific will rely its reopening on local infection rates and risks.
However, only 13 percent confirmed they will require antibody screening to test the immunity of their workers against Covid-19.
In terms of measures to keep the workplace safe, at least 85 percent vowed they will put up, if not increase, hand sanitation stations. Majority of business owners will also limit the number of in-person meetings, as well as the frequency of client visits, in the workplace.
Further, more than two-thirds said they will require the wearing of face masks at all times, while nearly 63 percent disclosed they will moderate the number of employees reporting daily.
As for screening and assessments, about 70 percent of firms in Asia and the Pacific will make mandatory temperature checks every day. Many of them will also require their workers to do a self-assessment and verification and answer onsite questionnaire on symptoms.
On additional compensation, two in every five employers committed to implement flexible work arrangements to accommodate the needs of their employees.
The poll reported over a quarter is ready to extend mental health support to workers in distress, while at least 10 percent is willing to provide commuting assistance. Only a handful, however, are open to expanding the health-care package of their employees and subsidizing a portion of their basic needs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Renee McGowan, CEO for Asia at Mercer, said return to the workplace in the region will require firms to be transparent, flexible and proactive to be able to respond to the cycles of lockdowns that depend on local Covid-19 infection rates.
McGowan argued that health and safety should be the priority in the reopening of the economy, and employers must therefore implement precautionary measures for the new normal. The future of work, she added, will be shaped by how firms will navigate through changes and challenges posed by the pandemic.
Mercer on Monday released a white paper, titled “Return to New Normal,” outlining the ways in which business operations can reopen without compromising health and safety.
The survey on the return to workplace gathered the insights of 150 firms from all over Asia and the Pacific. Twenty-two firms from the Philippines participated in the poll.
Mercer, a New York-based consulting firm specializing in human resources, operates in at least 130 economies and employs more than 25,000 workers in 44 countries.
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