WizLearn Technologies CEO urges companies to be responsible with Covid-19 distancing measures: Even 'small details' matter
Wizlearn Technologies CEO on learning from his experience after firm became Covid-19 cluster
Two weeks before a cluster emerged at his company premises, Wizlearn Technologies chief executive Victor Yuk told his staff he wanted to implement split-team operations amid concerns about the rising number of Covid-19 infections.
In mid-February, the 70 employees of the company at Science Park were split into two teams to alternate between working from home and at the office.
"Some of them asked me if there was a need for this. I told them it was best to have the business continuity plans (BCP) just in case," Mr Yuk, 45, told The New Paper last Thursday.
Despite the precaution, a 38-year-old male employee tested positive for the coronavirus less than two weeks later on Feb 26.
Over the next five days, more of his staff fell sick, with one of them spreading the infection to his family members.
In the end, 14 people, more than half of them employees, were linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, which provides e-learning solutions to companies and schools.
In the month since then, the Covid-19 situation has become more dire, prompting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to declare a four-week circuit breaker last Friday to stem the spread of the deadly virus.
Among the measures, which took effect yesterday, are the closures of non-essential service workplaces, with employees having to work from home.
Employers who fail to do this risk being hit with fines and stop-work orders.
All residents must also observe strict distancing measures, as Parliament passed a Bill to ban social gatherings of any size in homes or public spaces.
Another 106 infections were confirmed yesterday, with 52 linked to known clusters, including foreign dormitories.
Applauding the new measures, Mr Yuk said: "We won't know when one case could turn into a cluster. It is best to abide by these measures to protect workers and the community."
On his entire work force being placed on home quarantine for two weeks, he said: "It was a very tense and anxious time. The staff were naturally affected."
Mr Yuk said he was worried for his sick employees while trying to maintain the morale of the rest.
"Imagine having to see the news every day that more of your colleagues have fallen ill.
"If any of them exhibited the slightest symptoms, they had to be tested at the National Centre of Infectious Diseases. It was a hard time for us."
While he is unsure how the infection had spread, Mr Yuk said none of his sick workers turned up for work when they were on medical leave.
But learning from his own experience, he encouraged companies not to overlook the small details.
For one thing, some employees met each other in the office for important meetings despite being split into different teams.
He also cited employees sharing a car when going to meet a client or having a meal together as examples of potential breaches.
"It is these small things that will make a difference. But if we had not implemented the BCP, I am certain many more of my staff would have been infected."
All the staff had been telecommuting since Feb 28, when the office had to be closed as a result of the cluster.
"I urge all companies to use Covid-19 as an opportunity to firm up their BCPs because you never know when it will come in handy and save lives," added Mr Yuk.
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