The COVID Task Force was created to ensure our employees’ health and safety during the Pandemic. A member of the task force writes about her experience.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused tremendous disruption in our lives and businesses. Many people felt anxious about how this pandemic will affect their livelihoods. A lot were worried about losing their jobs because of the effects of the pandemic on businesses. This was brought by the news of employers reducing the salaries of their employees, or worse, letting them go. A lot of us also had the same concerns as the company might decide to do similar measures if the business continued to struggle during the pandemic.

When the pandemic started in 2020, our management team, valuing the health and safety of employees, was quick to decide on a work-from-home setup. It was difficult to adjust because most of us were not prepared. But our team members proved that location does not affect their capability in getting things done. Employees are the company’s greatest assets.

Months into the pandemic, we continued with the work-from-home setup with no apparent signs of the situation getting better. The HR team had to do challenging work under these circumstances, as face-to-face collaboration is replaced with email exchanges and video conferencing. We also encountered additional challenges in processing paperwork and remotely providing support to all employees.

But this did not hinder us in carrying out our duties. In response to the ongoing situation, the HR team and the Administrative team joined forces to form the COVID Task Force. The primary purpose of this task force is to monitor employees’ health and extend help when they need it. The COVID Task Force is the go-to team responsible for ensuring that every employee is being checked and monitored for symptoms or if they have been exposed to COVID-positive individuals. This unique collaboration also served as the focal point to assist employees affected by COVID. The team also administered swab tests, assisted employees in looking for quarantine facilities, and other tasks related to helping team members. 

The management team also gave the task force the responsibility to ensure that the company’s Moderna vaccines would be administered efficiently. Aside from this, the COVID Task Force prepared COVID Care Kits for all employees to help ease their stress and worries. The Care Kits contain a pulse oximeter, a thermometer, medicines, and other essentials (alcohol, masks, disinfecting wipes, etc.). This care kit was delivered to all employees working in different locations in the Philippines.

Right now, the pandemic is a bit better than last year. That’s why we are now encouraging employees to start working face-to-face in our offices with precautionary measures. The COVID Task Force will be making sure that our offices are safe through the enforcement of health protocols, including social distancing. This also includes using SafePass – team members will have their QR codes scanned before they enter the office for accurate contact tracing. Another initiative is providing free lunches to employees working in the office so that they won’t have to go outside and increase their risk of getting sick. We are also thinking of more ways to look out for our employees and their loved ones. 

We use the mantra “We are All in this Together” in the Task Force!  The COVID Task Force will continue to help every Amihan team member get through these extraordinary times.

Kristiane “Chin” Perez is an HR Officer in Amihan. She is also a dog mom that loves to play with her 6 dogs.