BPOs urged to review COVID-19 safety measures
Published:Tuesday | April 14, 2020 | 12:00 AM
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operators are being urged to immediately review and update their current COVID-19 related health and safety measures and to develop and implement policies where none exist.
The call came from State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Alando Terrelonge, against the background of the decision of call centre Alorica to temporarily close its Kingston branch as part of mitigation activities regarding the virus.
This is the such second closure after the Portmore location was shuttered for sanitisation and contact tracing activities after two employees tested positive for the virus.
READ: Alorica shuts down second plant
Terrelonge argues that safety is paramount at this time.
“While we understand the economic importance of the BPO sector and the jobs created for over 40,000 Jamaicans, this must not supersede the importance of the health of our society, and in this case, the health of our youth population,” he said in a statement.
He argued that the risk of community spread in densely populated areas like Portmore, where many of these employees reside, is of great concern.
“The health and safety of all employees is paramount. This is a time for all employers in the BPO sector to enact proper policies and follow the sanitation guidelines set out by the Government and Ministry of Health and Wellness, to keep our young people safe.
“It might be useful for other BPO entities to follow suit. It is better to close for 2 to 3 weeks and review policies, implement necessary safety guidelines to maintain adequate social distancing, install hand sanitiser stations throughout the workplace, on buses that transport workers and install thermometers for mandatory daily temperature checks for staff, upon entering and leaving the workspace – if this is not already being done,” said Terrelonge.
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