To our partners and clients, it goes without saying that these are unprecedented times. During this global crisis, we are all making the best decisions we can as individuals, as family members, and as businesses. At TeleTech Philippines, employee welfare is our topmost priority as we continue to mobilise resources and support to ensure employee safety and business resiliency.
We also know that transparency and communication are paramount and so we are making every effort to share with you the actions our company is taking during these uncertain times. Here is a summary of our COVID-19 response.
How has TeleTech Philippines supported its employees?
We had been doing contingency planning since February, beginning with a technology readiness survey. When we received news of the impending lockdown in Manila, we immediately mobilised plans to ensure employee safety. Our first move was to provide transportation assistance to any of our onsite employees who needed help getting home safely and to issue an alert to our employees who had yet to reach the site to stay home as per the guidelines of the government. And within a matter of hours, we put in place business contingency strategies to enable our employees to continue operating from various work environments in addition to receiving health and financial support.
What precautions are being taken to maintain the contact centres?
We understand that in some cases, highly sensitive or regulated operations may prevent a complete move to remote work. In those circumstances, TeleTech has undertaken WHO-recommended cleaning and prevention measures including deep cleanings multiple times per day, fogging of entire locations, temperature checks, and social distancing. And we are keeping all employees informed with regular tips on prevention and self-care, along with news about what the company is doing to maintain employee safety and health.
“Thank you to all your people on the queues who have done their very best this week in difficult circumstances.” –Head of Connect Delivery, Phone & Broadband Provider
What work arrangements have been made for employees?
Work from home
We made a decision to box up desktop PCs and deliver them to our employees’ homes. The criticality of the situation was not lost on our employees. Many volunteered to come into the office and wrap up PCs and other equipment which were delivered via motorbikes, trikes, shuttles, buses, and cars to ensure that employees had what they needed to function in a remote work environment. Within a matter of days, more than 70% of our agents were set up and fully operating from home and on-site.
“I wanted to say a big thank you for all your efforts this week. In what has been one of the more challenging weeks we’ll probably ever encounter in our professional lives, you’ve proven why you are such a strong leader.”
- CEO, Consumer Services Company
Near- and on-site locations
While we have mobilised a large percentage of our workforce to work from home, we need to maintain essential crews at our centres. Especially for employees, who for various reasons couldn’t work from home, this was an ideal option. We quickly identified safe locations where employees could reside within walking distance of our centres.
We also converted our office space into residences for individuals working and living in contact centres across Luzon. We had to quickly procure washing and drying machines as well as sundry items like toothpaste and toothbrushes. We are also providing meal services for our employees while observing social distance measures at all times.
A huge thank you
On behalf of TeleTech, we are deeply grateful for your support and partnership as we all face this unprecedented challenge. We’re here to help you in whatever way we can, so please reach out with any questions. Stay safe and stay healthy—we will get through this together.
