Last week, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic. The Corona Virus Disease (known as COVID-19) has already resulted in the death of over 4,600 people worldwide, with over 121,600 infected in more than 140 countries.
In response to the outbreak in Metro Manila, President Duterte has announced new measures to mitigate the spread of disease including an enhanced community quarantine which mandates Luzon citizens to stay home at all times. Because of this, many companies must make the sudden move online and take cues from those who do remote work right.
Advance, a fintech startup that offers salary advance benefits to employees across the Philippines, has been operating with a remote set-up since the beginning of our operations. Here’s how management empowers our team to produce quality work from home.
Project Management Tools
Our work-from-home strategy allows everyone to lead flexible schedules and work in the most efficient manner to achieve our objectives. This strategy is also called an output-based versus a presence-based work system. Practicing this year-round means that there’s hardly a need for workflow adjustment in case of external disruptions.
The reason why our remote scheme drives results is that we choose to trust team members rather than micromanage them. We’ve learned that weekly meetings and brief check-ins are enough to keep teams aligned for the week or day. To add, we keep communication channels open 24/7 in case anyone needs support.
We leverage affordable online tools like Slack, Basecamp, and Notion to organize our tasks and share updates, and Google Hangouts or Zoom to hold online meetings or conferences. Everyone is also encouraged to find and make use of tools that work for their individual needs.
Resource Allowances
Our management understands that not all employees are well-equipped to work from home. This is why from the get-go, everyone is asked if they’re in need of any specific tools for work. The provision of items like company laptops, Microsoft Office access, mobile data allowances, and other resources as needed have proven useful to our team, especially in light of the mandatory home quarantine.
Flexible Leave Policies
Because we normally work from home, leaves aren’t as much of a concern as it is for others. Nonetheless, we’re given the option to use our paid vacation or sick leave credits if ever the need arises.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the benefit of a seamless work-from-home experience. Many people are worried that their pay will be suspended if they can’t come into work due to the enhanced quarantine. Because of this, DOLE has recommended that companies offer their employees extra paid leave credits and take nonpunitive approaches to deal with COVID-related absences, emphasizing the need for “flexibility and compassion” during these difficult times.
Financial Support
Advance team members no longer have to worry about having cash on hand for emergencies. Through our company’s online platform, we’re allowed access to our salary whenever we need as a revolving line of credit. This is especially useful now as we’ve racked up unbudgeted expenses due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Medical bills are a huge out-of-pocket expense that many Filipinos struggle to recover from, pushing approximately 1.5 million families into poverty each year. This is why one of the best ways to support employees is by providing them with the means to cover such obligations while avoiding unnecessary costs.
Our salary advance service ensures that fulfilling sudden expenditures is never too heavy on employees’ pockets. Better still, it’s offered at no cost or liability to employers. With features like 24/7 access to funds, instant disbursement, and short term repayment periods, Advance is the best way to ensure your people are covered when times get tough.
Photo by Manny Pantoja on Unsplash
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