Ever since the announcement of the lockdown in the country, everything had come to a halt amid the fears of the coronavirus spreading far and wide. This is despite the fact that strict procedures are being followed to ensure physical quarantining and social distancing. At Ionixx Technologies, we proactively took stock of the situation and adapted to it through quick and sustainable measures to ensure business continuity.
We left no stone unturned to prioritize the health and safety of our employees. Within a short period of only 4 days, the company made all arrangements for its employees to work from their homes with ease. Be it laptops or desktops, all resources were provided with the necessary support-systems they needed to work comfortably. Focussing on the holistic wellbeing of the employees, we also had to send a few people outside the city so that they could be close with family. A sense of feeling safe and secure was more important for us than the location from where they worked.
At present, the country has experienced several rounds of lockdown and with the gradual easing of the rules. Ionixx’s employees have been finding and internalizing newer ways to work to their full potential. However, being indoors all the time has taken a toll on their sanity. People are losing track of time, and in turn, are unable to ensure an optimal balance between work and increasing familial responsibilities, on account of being confined to their homes. Yet another challenge is how we humans as social beings are finding it rather strange to wrap our heads around the concept of social distancing and finding it difficult to practice it for long periods of time.
During such difficult times, all one needs is identifying novel ways of handling things. To be able to adapt to working from home, the leadership was challenged with coming up with novel ways to keep their teams productive and more importantly, mentally fit. In fact, the company is also providing its employees with therapists in case they wish to talk to someone in these distressing times.
One of the things that worked well was indulging in art as a new method of coping with the present situation. Our Head of Design encouraged team members to take up art – water-colors, sketching, doodling, or digital art. Throughout the lockdown, team members made time for expressing their creativity through art and shared it amongst themselves. Employees found solace in indulging in art. Some found it therapeutic too. Little comments and appreciation of each other became the “virtual” version of exchanging pleasantries at work, an equivalent of “Hey I like your shoes?” or ” I like your desk decor” that served the purpose of keeping the office spirit alive.
The days are not far when “work from home” may, in fact, become the new normal. Change is inevitable but choosing to grow during such times exhibits a lot of strength and resilience. To learn to deal with changes and develop as a strong company, such a change needs has to be embraced. Our leadership strives to make this transition smooth by caring for the wellbeing of our employees. In other words, there is no doubt that the current pandemic situation will help be best prepared for the next big thing to come.