We are already in the third month where the planet is fighting the new coronavirus that started in the Chinese province of Hubei and has spread to more than 85 countries.
Except in China where the cases on March 4, 2020 (s.s. the evidence for the spread of the virus is dynamic and changes hour by hour) exceeded 80.000 and their deaths 2.900, the countries most affected are South Korea (over 5.600 cases and 28 deaths), Iran (2.900 cases and 92 deaths) and Italy (2.500 cases and 79 deaths).
The veil of fear and anxiety for the unknown that surrounds the SARS-CoV-2 virus has covered the whole world with the world trying to cope with the new conditions.
"Epidemic diseases are an inherent source of fear"Because the enemy is invisible to the naked eye," explains Australian infectious disease specialist Adam Camrand-Scott.
The World Health Organization in a rare admission reported on Tuesday 3 March that the infection Covid-19 caused by COVID-2 «put the international community in uncharted waters». This is because the number of new cases in China that day dropped dramatically, but increased abroad with the USA to record six dead. "To date, we have never seen a pathogen that infects the respiratory tract and is capable of being transmitted within the community, but which can be curtailed with appropriate measures," said WHO Tentros head Antanom Gebregesous.
So if we think that we are almost blind to dealing with this risk from a medical point of view, the effects it has on every aspect of everyday life can prove to be a "game changer" in many areas. With the one at work already feeling the hot breath of the virus on her.
From the first hours that the news of the rapid spread of the virus reached the screens of our televisions, computers and mobile phones, the first thought that came to mind was travel. From and to the affected areas.
Travel companies quickly canceled flights to the epicenter of the coronavirus, the Chinese city of Wuhan. As long as the spread knew no borders the movements between, and to and from areas that face a big problem, are done with many restrictions.
Restrictions on travel have brought down the revenue of many airlines. This blow was partly passed on to employees as companies tried to find ways to slash costs.
For example to mention that the EasyJet announced today the freezing of recruitment, salaries and promotions, reduction of operating expenses, while it will promote "unpaid leave" for its staff. Freezing of recruitments was also announced by Lufthansa, while she will also apply the measure of unpaid leave for her staff. Many more airlines around the world have announced measures to deal with the effects of the coronavirus, but without going into specific details. Possibly for fear of generalized reactions. H Emirates for its part, according to Reuters, announced that it will proceed with the imposition of unpaid leave on their employees for next month.
The situation in Greece regarding the confirmed cases is at a good level since by March 4 the incidents were 9. In general, the population reacted satisfactorily to the bombardment of alarming messages from every corner of the globe. With a few exceptions the initial exacerbation with medical masks the condition is (as of the time these lines are written) controllable.
Hints from companies to their employees for flexibility in their workplace and if it can be transferred to their home, it is still in its infancy.
We can not say that the same applies to foreign countries however. Already Global giants such as Google and Twitter to ask their employees in the affected areas to work from home. Anti-proliferation measures lead to quarantine solutions even in cases where there is no case.
China, South Korea and Japan were the first countries to take "aggressive" measures to curb the virus, enforcing mandatory travel bans for whatever reason. Hence and to move the workforce to and from their work.
Italy followed with the USA and Great Britain on the verge of very serious changes in their daily work. The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the measures of the United Kingdom. Among them may be the ban on human contact for 12 weeks. This means that work from home will also be in the realm of necessity.
The local health authorities daily announce the personal hygiene measures that concern the continuous and diligent washing of the hands but also the disinfection of the surfaces that we share with our colleagues. The instructions for the workplaces speak of a mandatory distance between employees of at least 1 to 1,5 meters.
But what about the self-employed and them employees in the fields of transport and services? In China, couriers and delivery companies saw a rapid increase in turnover as people were in quarantine so any need had to come by freight. Deliveries and couriers in China are the first to be thrown into the battle of the continuity of daily life with unfortunately reduced self-protection measures.
China, South Korea, Japan, India, Pakistan as well as the United Kingdom, France and the United States rely heavily on their economies for the self-employed and the self-employed. But what about them in case of quarantine or compulsory leave? Thousands respond that they can not isolate themselves. Their pocket can not lift it.
At Britain Reactions are already erupting as forced quarantine and unpaid leave leave a large portion of workers exposed and virtually without day labor and insurance coverage. At the peak of the epidemic on the Island there are predictions that one in five workers will be absent from work on sick leave. A big point of contention is the payment of sick leave with Britain paying only 20% of the wage. According to studies of more than 2 million insured people in Britain, he does not make enough to cover his insurance contributions.
In America, companies are increasingly promoting work from home, or the mandatory quarantine in case a member of the household falls ill. The debate over the isolation of workers and the sterilization of workplaces has opened up for good. Poor pay also means poor health care. So more likely to get sick and not be able to deal with it. More than 78 million workers in the United States are paid by the hour. This workforce is not paid if it does not work. With all that entails.
In, European champion in self-employment Greece, such a debate has not yet begun. A condition that may change very soon.
Finally, a recent Deloitte survey found that the vast majority of employees (90% of respondents) would like flexible forms of work. Of this 90%, however, 60% fear that alienation from their workplace may affect their future work
Labor expert Kelly Stavroulaki spoke to newsbeast.gr and Stavroula Petaliou about what exactly the labor market predicts legislation and what happens in case of preventive quarantine or even if the Employees can not go to work due to coronavirus (read the whole interview here).
One of the main issues that is discussed quite intensively in the workplace is whether the employee who will be put in compulsory quarantine is paid or the days are offset by his normal leave.
Ms. Stavroulaki stated that «In case the employee is placed in a preventive "quarantine" he is entitled to the entire salary - his wage for the days he is not allowed to work, provided that these days are taken into account as days of illness. In no case are these days offset by the days of normal leisure leave, since these days, by the letter of the Law, are intended to ensure the necessary free time for the employee to rest, in contrast to sick days where the purpose of absence is the healing of the employee ".
Work from home is also an issue that concerns our offices. What happens if the company closes precautionarily and if the employee who is forced to work from his place does not have the necessary means?
Then, according to the labor expert, in the first case the employee is normally entitled to the full agreed wage for these days, because it is considered that the decision not to operate the company was taken for reasons of force majeure and general public interest.
In the second case, the company has the sole responsibility and obligation to provide all the necessary means in order for the employee to work from his personal space. Otherwise, the inability to provide the work offered by the employee, is considered not subject to his own sphere of responsibility, and is normally entitled to his remuneration - salary, even if the work was not performed in the end.