Waiting for quarantine releases offers reduced workload – work less than 8 hours and get the same pay

The interviewee also assured that many employees are currently experiencing very high levels of stress because they do not feel safe in the current circumstances.

“First of all, it is necessary to emphasize two things. First, the enormous psychological tension that prevails between the employees since this whole situation generates a lot of tension. Nobody expected that, but I can say that we live practically in a war zone, such an atmosphere. Secondly, we must make it clear that workers should feel safe when they return to work. I will admit that there are different positions among employees. Some of them already feel safe and could go back to work, while others are not so safe. insurance, any government decision is reserved.

If we emphasize the importance of preserving health and life, and this requires a number of conditions, the employer must take care of the respirator, not just a piece of material, but workers must have respirators to change during certain hours, the premises must be disinfected, are the minimum conditions. There should also be periodic tests and we say that now in times of war zone we could not access the normal workload, we should reduce the workload for the staff, the number of contacts. If businessmen could meet all these conditions, we could think about the gradual liberalization of certain activities ”, says the interlocutor.

I. Ruginienė also pointed to another topical problem: very high employee workloads.

“I think now is the time to talk about our excruciatingly busy employees. A pandemic or quarantine period has highlighted this, and at least at a time when there is a delicate moment where every contact is dangerous, in our opinion it could be one of the risk management measures: a reduced workload. It may not be necessary to work 8 hours, or it may be possible to work for the same salary and fewer hours to protect employees and keep them working, ”says the interviewee.

Ask for a bigger picture

Andrius Romanovskis, president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation, emphasized in the program that we should see a bigger picture of the situation instead of details. Otherwise, the autumn situation will be repeated, which would not be good in this case.

“Both the employee and the client must be protected. It seems to me that in this debate we must answer the question of whether or not the epidemiological situation is affected by one or the other release. Here, in the first place, it must be the decision of doctors , experts and specialists in what condition we are in. We must bear in mind that the different levels (A, B, C, D) are affirmed and must be attached, not emotionally attached to one decision or another.

Let’s remember the situation in autumn when there was a debate about closing or not closing bars. We go back into the details, but don’t look at the big picture. I understand that for individual sectors, such as commerce or beauty salons, this is a difficult time, but there are other sectors, such as event organizers, who realize that even if the situation changes now, they will not return quickly. Also sports competitions, events. There are many sectors whose return to market is propelled even further into the future. I would say that the main question is for the doctors. They have to answer when it is safe to work and under what conditions, ”says A. Romanovskis.

When asked if it is possible that if companies are not allowed to continue opening, the general business situation in Lithuania will change significantly, the interviewee assured that now we are in an illusion, because we are not in a good situation yet.

“We realize that for many companies, even in the current debate, it was not proposed to open. Let’s realize that everything works according to the domino principle: if wrong decisions were made, like they were made in the fall, they meant that most had to close.

Now, too, wrong decisions can make some companies unable to return as soon as they could. There is a dilemma, which is more important: life and health or other interests, it is a complex question for which there is no answer, it is impossible for everyone to be satisfied ”, says A. Romanovskis.