Back to work in the office
Prior to the first case of COVID-19 infection being detected in Portugal, and as a form of protection for Eurotux employees and the community overall, the anticipated contingency plan was activated on 2 March, which made 80% of the team to start adapting to telework methods.
The rapid adaptation
Despite the urge for the employees to embrace this new reality, the company’s productivity levels remain stable with no negative impact on the services provided by Eurotux. This effort demonstrated the commitment of the employees to Eurotux and to their customers at a time while the Portuguese society was not yet undergoing this change.
The confinement phase
During the confinement phase, Eurotux implemented strategies to minimize the impact of the distance between teams by creating a dynamic approach, mainly by sending tips of the week to encourage people to share their experiences, or sending baskets full of fruit and vegetables to the employees’ homes, amongst other initiatives.
The return to face-to-face work
After two and a half months of remote work by all the teams, and although the return to face-to-face work was not a necessity for Eurotux, it was allowed that about 20% of the employees could return to work on the premises. This gradual return implied some adjustments to the new reality and compliance with several rules, which were presented in a “Back to Work Plan” shared with the whole company.
Among the prevention measures, the use of masks and social distancing are mandatory. In addition to a maximum limit of people per room/space, shifts were also defined that remain unchanged for periods of one to two weeks.
Despite this return, many employees remain at home, especially those who may be more likely to have contact with people infected by COVID-19.
A positive assessment
After a week of face-to-face work, the first shift made a positive assessment of the experience that allowed the return to a reality, which although different, gives hope that one day we can recover the conviviality between colleagues and return to enjoy the newly opened facilities.
