Coronavirus Effect: TCS, HCL, Twitter Asks Employees To Work From Home, Avoid Travel To Stay Safe

With increasing reports of more and more people around the world being infected with coronavirus, individuals have started taking extra-precautionary steps towards their everyday activities, especially in and around areas concerning China.

Coronavirus infections have exceeded 42,000 with the total number of deaths at more than 1,000. 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.

In order to take precautionary measures, Twitter has come forward and asked its employees to work from home.

Twitter Asks Employees to Work from Home

Just like Twitter, tech giants like Tata Consultancy Services and HCL Technologies too have instructed staff to avoid non-essential travel as IT firms put in place measures to safeguard workers against the deadly coronavirus.

Twitter asked the employees to work from home if they can, as more and more fresh cases of coronavirus are being reported globally.

In a series of tweets, Jennifer Christie, who leads the people team at Twitter, said, “Today, we shared additional guidance, strongly encouraging all Twitter employees globally to work from home if they’re able. Our goal is to minimise contact with others and contain any potential risk, protecting everyone’s health and safety.”

Other Tech Giants are Worried about Employees Too

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.

The spokesperson added that specifically in Italy, as a precautionary measure, the company has implemented work from home and restrictions on travel.

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 or Work From Home’ strategy has been activated to aid social distancing in the impacted regions. Travel advisory across the organisation has been issued with full precautionary measures.

The government has stepped up its efforts to detect and check the infection which has killed over 3,100 people worldwide.