With increasing number of corona virus cases and time required to develop the vaccine it is most obvious that we will have to deal with COVID-19 for few more months or years. Adapting to the new normal many firms across the world, for whom their employees are among their highest priority are taking steps for the employees to feel comfortable working from home.
The firms are providing the employees, not only with internet connections and laptop but also with ergonomic chair and study tables for better health, fitness and comfort in working from home.
To ensure business continuity, HSBC started with moving laptops and desktops to staff locations. Almost 22,000 laptops and 6,000 desktops were moved. “But as lockdown was extended, it required additional measures to be implemented to ensure staff health and comfort while working from home,” says Jai Pawani, Chief Operating Officer, HSBC India. The firm then gave employees the option to request for the support they require.
According to the requests made, around 300 ergonomic chairs were delivered to staff while 20,000 large-sized monitors and keyboards were also moved to employee’s residence. Priority was given to employees with known health issues, said Pawani. Around 9,550 UPS were also procured and delivered to employees who were into critical and customer facing roles to support them with uninterrupted power supply.
Not all firms delivered directly, many choose to reimburse them for the purchases made to set up the office at home. To make virtual working seamless, Walmart Labs started reimbursing the employees not just for IT but also physical infrastructure requirements, says its Vice President – People, Sudeep Ralhan. The employees can, since March 2020, avail reimbursements for internet, mini-UPS and headphones and for ergonomic desk or chair. For family support, even cost of nanny services is borne by the firm as workplace creche is closed.
No wonder, furniture brands are seeing a spike in queries for work for home furniture. “Since last month, we have seen many organizations inquiring about how best to support their workforce working from homes,” says Sameer Joshi, Associate Vice President, Marketing (B2B), Godrej Interio.
He adds, “We are getting several inquiries for Ergonomic Chairs and Desks. Most of the organizations are negotiating with us, securing rates and then giving choice to their employees to order from us directly.”
Since the space available at every home is unique, Joshi says, firms prefer to give options to the employees to choose the furniture they like to purchase. “The foldable desks due to their space saving have registered huge spike in sales. Demand for motion chairs, foldable chairs, interactive poufs have also increased,” says Joshi.
For any firm to expand and grow employees should be in a better mental and physical state for giving their best at work place. Comfort and office like environment at home is most needed in this pandemic situation and new normal.
