Employers need to rethink work culture post MCO, says MEF

PETALING JAYA (April 28): Employers have to rethink the future workplace culture while preparing themselves for the post Movement Control Order (MCO) period, said Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan.

“Social distancing will be a priority until we find the vaccine for the Covid-19 virus. To achieve this, employers need to realign their office space, reallocate manpower as well as change their work culture - no more handshakes and friendly hugs - that's the new normal,” he shared during a webinar organised by New Entrepreneurs Foundation today.

He added that a majority of employers and their staff were not prepared for the work-from-home practice before the MCO.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has caught many people off guard and some do not even have the tools or means to work from home.

“How stable is the Internet connection? The data security and access for employees at home? Is the home environment conducive for work? These are the problems many people are facing when being asked to stay at home,” he said.

Shamsuddin reminded employers to think of solutions that could enable employees to work remotely to ensure future operations will not be affected if an MCO, or something similar, happened again.

He also urged the government to consider giving companies tax incentives for them to help their employees set up safe and healthy work environments at home.

Meanwhile, there’s also a need for employers to enhance workplace safety to prevent the spread of any disease.

“The usage of tracking devices or applications will be beneficial for employers and employees. Take the recent Jalan Othman market as an example, if anyone went to the place during that period, the employer or management will be notified and they could request the employee to stay home for self-quarantine,” Shamsuddin added.

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