TelEm Group’s remote working strategy will be tested for effectiveness and productivity and as a means of containing spread of the COVID-19 virus in the workplace.
POND ISLAND--TelEm Group said personnel will be working a split-shift system with 50 per cent of employees working from home and 50 per cent working in the company offices at the various locations from Monday, March 23.
“Management informed the St. Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) and employees last week about the new working arrangement to protect employees, their families and customers from the Coronavirus COVID-19,” said TelEm in a press release on Monday.
According to the release this follows an earlier decision by TelEm Group management to adjust business opening hours to the public until further notice so that fewer persons can visit company locations each day.
TelEm Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kendall Dupersoy said, “The Company is continuing to implement its COVID-19 Contingency Plan 2020 and it’s continuing to play its part in a community-wide effort to contain the spread of the deadly virus on St. Maarten.”
He said employees working from home have been provided with the equipment they need to carry out their respective functions and duties and also to maintain contact with the Managers and Supervisors.
“The idea is to rotate the split-shift system so that those working in the office will work at home the following week. We plan to assess the new working arrangements after the first two rotations to determine if this is a suitable and conducive alternative for the company in line with the present COVID-19 measures being taken,” he said.
“This is the first time our employees will be working remotely on such a large scale, so we are expecting some teething problems and ask the public to be patient with us should any problems arise, which we do not anticipate at this time, however, we have to make provisions under the circumstances,” he added.
According to Dupersoy employees and management are also stepping up social distancing within the workplace by cutting down on group meetings and face to face meetings in preference to online conferencing systems such as Skype and Microsoft Teams.
“The technology is available to hold virtual meetings and reduce person to person contact in the workplace. Management is setting its own example to employees by making use of this technology and we are encouraging others to also do the same,” he concluded.
