As the novel Coronavirus outbreak reaches Indian shores with at least 20 confirmed cases in the country, its effects have begun to be felt in many quarters. Companies and industries around the world are now contemplating their next move to contain the virus, safeguard employees and sustain the business.
In what can be seen as a major effect of organizations, tech giants like Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies and Wipro have asked staff to avoid non-essential travel as they put measures to safeguard their employees against the deadly virus.
Microblogging platform Twitter has also asked all its 5,000 employees to work from home. In a company statement, Twitter said, “We are strongly encouraging all employees globally to work from home if they’re able. Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus for us — and the world around us.”
A TCS spokesperson said the company is working closely with all the relevant global, regional and local health institutions and are implementing the latest recommendations given to the company.
“We are ensuring that our staff has all the information and support they require. In addition, we are also working closely with our clients to coordinate any measures in this situation,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that specifically in Italy, as a precautionary measure, the company has implemented work from home and restrictions on travel.
“This had also been put in place across some countries in Asia-Pacific, and is being monitored and modified based on the situation in each location,” the spokesperson said.
HCL Technologies said it has invoked an epidemic contingency plan in the impacted geographies and is providing full support to employees, wherever possible.
“‘Remote Working/Work From Home’ strategy has been activated to aid social distancing in the impacted regions. Travel advisory across the organization has been issued with full precautionary measures,” the company said.
It has also formed a special global task force to actively monitor the situation and take necessary actions in consultation with external agencies (International SOS).
“HCL is pro-actively invoking all required measures to ensure business continuity and will also be providing full support to clients and employees,” the company said.
The government has stepped up its efforts to detect and check the infection which has killed over 3,100 people worldwide.
Last month, Mobile World Congress (MWC), the biggest annual showcase for the telecom and technology industry held in Barcelona, was canceled in view of the coronavirus outbreak whose epicenter was in China.
The virus outbreak, which has seen cases being registered across the world including South Korea, Iran, Italy, and Japan, has had a significant impact on supply chains and manufacturing, given China is one of the biggest sources of components for products like electronics.
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