The outbreak of COVID-19 has created the need for remote working.

What is the COVID-19 Virus?

COVID-19 Virus is an infectious viral disease caused by a virus that has never before existed in the history of man.

The virus is known to exist in animals. Although some of its kind are known to infect human beings. Bats and other animals are considered to be the source of the coronavirus.

Sadly, since it’s genesis in Wuhan China, the coronavirus has been spreading speedily across the world. It is estimated that more than 4000 deaths have resulted since then and more humans continue to die every day. The mortality rate is 20 to 30 humans per 1000 people.

Here’s why:

The coronavirus still lacks a vaccine. Besides, nobody has innate immunity to consider themselves safe. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets that can be spread through coughing, exhaling, or a sneeze from an infected individual. The virus incubates for 2 to 14 days after which the following clinical syndromes may result:

• Fever
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain

This virus penetrates the body through the nose, mouth, and eyes.

Impact on How Work is Done

The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recently published a guide for Workforce. This outline is about the COVID-19 impact that has made it necessary to look into an alternative mode of work. OSHA stresses the need for seclusion.

The surest way to control the COVID-19 Virus is to let employees work from home. According to OSHA, the following situations initiate the seclusion of an employee from the workplace:

• Where an employee shows the clinical signs of the virus.
• Where an employee suspects they have been infected by the virus. In such a circumstance, the employee may distance themselves from their work premises to protect co-workers. However, this largely depends on the labor rules of a country.
• Where employees worked with an infected employee or are suspected to have interacted with the infected employee

Besides remote working, social distancing is crucial; especially in learning institutions. Numerous learning institutions have had to close down due to this worldwide crisis. Travel has been restricted. The reduction in commute helps in reducing the spread of the virus.

Let’s have a look at how international companies react to the spread of COVID-19:

How Businesses and Companies Are Protecting Their Workers through Home Working

Firms like Microsoft are making sure that working from home is the preferred approach of work.

Google recently ordered most of its 8000 staff from their Ireland capital to work from home. They are providing free tools to their employees to facilitate this. Through the process, Google promises to create an infection-free working environment. The company aims to test its capability to shift to working online during this process.

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Cryptocurrency requested some of their workers to start working from home. He said this is an effective way of minimizing the spread of infections of COVID-19.

Amazon promised to work closely with scientists and medical experts to control the spread of COVID-19 Virus. They urged their employees to work from home throughout March. Besides, the giant tech firm promised a paid leave of two weeks for any of their employee who had contracted the virus or been quarantined for the disease.

Jennifer Christie of Twitter said that 5000 employees would be working from home. This would lower the probability of the spread of COVID-19 Virus. Twitter are taking precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of their employees are guaranteed. Besides, this would enable them to ensure they can operate at their maximum. That would apply in case of an extended period of the virus.

Motorola advises its employees to minimize office work during these hazardous times. Additionally, the company tells its employees to refrain from travel as well as minimize gatherings and in-person meetings.

Benefits of Working from Home

Working from home comes with many benefits— apart from controlling the spread of epidemics, these include:

• The employee can customize their working environments like noise control and control distractions that are present when working from the office
• The employee can evade problems associated with traffic and crowds
• The employee has a flexible working schedule
• The employee has time for their family
• The employee is at liberty to choose what they eat
• Most work-related stress can be reduced when an employee works at the comfort of their home

Employers, too, will have their share of the benefits:

• They will limit absenteeism at work
• They will be able to hire the best, like Simon Stade — CEO of Affilorama — puts it
• They will save more as well as increase the number of working hours, which would otherwise be eaten by the commute of the employees.

Bottom Line,

It is so unfortunate that the COVID-19 Virus is so overwhelming. What does this mean? Until a vaccine is invented, it is likely to continue spreading, especially at the workplace.

The big question is “How do we reduce the effects of the virus at the workplace?” It is simple, let’s promote remote working.