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PETALING JAYA: Employers in the Klang Valley, although bothered by the two-week conditional motion control order (MCO), are now better prepared to adapt to changes in the workplace after having been through the same situation before.
Some companies are able to shift their entire staff to a work-from-home system, while others have opted for a rotation method whereby workers are divided into groups and take turns working from the office and home.
New work patterns in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic also saw some workers being temporarily transferred to less-staffed branch offices to allow for better social distancing.
Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) Executive Director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said that in this conditional MCO, bosses were armed with the experience of the first round in March, which has since ushered in a new normal for both employers as well as employees.
He said employers had anticipated the return of the conditional MCO, judging by the steady increase in the number of cases across the country and also in the Klang Valley.
Therefore, when the government announced that the conditional MCO would be implemented from October 14 to 27, many employers already had a plan designed for the employment situation of their staff.
“With previous experience and a clearer standard operating procedure (SOP) on this occasion, the government has made in advance that companies and businesses can operate normally, with strict compliance with the SOP.
“This is what we must do as stakeholders to ensure we break the chain of Covid-19 transmissions,” he said yesterday.
Shamsuddin said that many employers chose to opt for an alternate week system, in which 50% of their staff work from home and another 50% work from the office.
“This is particularly true in situations where workers typically have to work in a confined office space, but of course not for all types of jobs, such as manufacturing.
“Reducing the number of staff members in confined office spaces is the best option for employers to enforce social distancing.
“It also ensures that there are not too many people on the street, public transport services can also have a lighter load,” he said.
Shamsuddin said that even after infection rates drop to zero in the future, employers might consider extending the work-from-home function for their staff as an additional precautionary measure.
However, it recognized that employers would need to provide a conducive work environment for their home-based employees.
“We need to improve connectivity for employees who work from home and it is quite a challenge.
“It is also necessary to make it easier for them to set up their work station, otherwise they will work in an unfavorable environment.
“We also need to have supportive policies or codes of practice when it comes to employees working from home so that everyone involved can be guided,” added Shamsuddin.
The MCO was first enforced on March 18 and during this phase, all non-essential businesses had to close, and many employees were asked to work from home.
Malaysia entered the MCO recovery phase on June 10 and it has been extended until December 31.
However, the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley resulted in the government imposing a conditional MCO for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya for two weeks until October 27.
Malaysia SME Association President Datuk Michael Kang said employers were readjusting to the conditional MCO better than in the previous round as they were now equipped with experience.
As the government had announced that all economic activities could function as usual, this was useful as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not need to close their businesses and relocate all their staff to work from home, he said.
“Regarding the current situation, the government has allowed companies to continue operating as usual, so most SME workers are working in the office.
“This is because many SMEs are not prepared to move to a work-from-home style, as most of the staff do not have the equipment.
“Those who work from home are mostly clerical staff because it is impossible for those who work in industries like manufacturing, retail or food and beverage to do so,” Kang said.
He admitted that one of the obstacles to SMEs allowing more workers to work from home was that many had yet to digitize their businesses.
“Our assistance for digitization is too slow and too bureaucratic,” he said.
However, before imposing the conditional MCO, Kang said the government should have done better in its communications and prepared the proper guidelines and standard operating procedures to avoid confusing companies.
“I would suggest that the government meet with industry leaders from time to time to prepare the SOP in case of any emergency,” he said.
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