THE Covid-19 health crisis has altered the shared services industry in 2020. As companies in Cebu transitioned from on-site to remote work, the Dover Business Services (DBS) office in Cebu responded and rebuilt plans to empower its employees to not just work from home (WFH) but ultimately, win from home.
From the time quarantine guidelines were set by the local government unit in Cebu City, DBS has been prioritizing its workforce’s safety and well-being. The leadership team was quick to decide on a WFH setup and encouraged remote work to safeguard employees without compromising their jobs.
“We didn’t think twice to transition to a WFH setup because our employees are our utmost priority especially at this time. We have assured that they are adequately equipped with the right tools to support their work-at-home setup by providing laptops, monitors and internet routers to those who are having problems with internet connections. Likewise, we also had a lot of webinars to help them cope with the day-to-day stress and anxieties caused by the Covid-19 situation,” said the DBS Cebu site leader.
Also, since most activities have forced a remote environment, DBS Cebu promoted virtual engagement to give its employees an avenue to destress and interact with their colleagues such as fun games and creative learning sessions. To complement how it prioritized its workforce’s welfare, the company tailored its benefits package to fit the needs of today. Its Covid-19 benefits package includes HMO coverage on any Covid-19 related consults and care as well as addendum to the company leave policy that is a 14-day Covid-19 leave on top of the sick leave and vacation leave.
DBS Cebu as a company understands that these times are hard for everyone especially for those who have been directly affected by the ill effects of this health crisis. To respond to this concern, it has initiated CSR efforts such as donating to Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation which aims to provide free rehabilitation services to all people who cannot afford them and are suffering from various forms of addiction specifically Substance Use Disorder.
DBS Cebu also continues to hire and transition key positions through virtual interviews and screening process. All throughout the quarantine period since March 30, it has had a 32 percent head count increase and is still looking at hiring 20 percent more additional head count in the next couple of months, across different levels from analysts, senior analysts, specialists, team leads and managers.
As the health crisis evolves and as everyone slowly adapts to the better normal, DBS Cebu assists its staff with its stringent Return to Office (RTO) plans. Gradually and cautiously, the company has put in place RTO guidelines to rebuild its employees’ confidence in working and returning to the office.
DBS Cebu’s best RTO practices include the designation of a Covid-19 Response Team, a comprehensive risk assessment model and ongoing proactive safety recommendations. Likewise, on-site safety protocol are also observed such as accomplishing the automated health declaration forms before office entry, providing PPEs to employees returning to office and strategically designing workstation layouts to be distant and allow for unidirectional movement in aisles and walkways.
According to the Site HR business partner of DBS Cebu: “We are returning to office carefully by phases so as not to force people who don’t feel safe yet going out of their homes. Moving forward, we aim to keep doing blended engagement activities like virtual sessions and if the time permits, in-person small group activities. This is in addition to our continuous efforts to support our community through our CSR activities as well as our ongoing recruitment events at these crucial times.”
DBS was founded in Cebu in April 2017 and continues to be a leading shared services center in the region. With a staff of close to 300, DBS Cebu aims to expand and attract the best talents as it remains to be Dover strong and resilient despite the adversities. SPONSORED CONTENT