A TOP official of Transcom said the business process outsourcing (BPO) firm will provide free vaccines against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to its employees in the country including Bacolod City once these are available.
Transcom Worldwide Chief Executive Officer for Global English Region Mark Lyndsell, in a statement Monday, February 8, 2021, said the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines for its employees is part of the company’s intensified fight against the virus.
For Bacolod City alone, one of the largest sites of the company, Transcom has to provide free vaccines to about 2,900 employees.
Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Task Force Deputy for Medical and Data Analysis Dr. Chris Sorongon earlier said the company is already in talks with the executives of Moderna, an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology, for the possible purchase of vaccines for their employees.
It might be a two-way approach because the BPO company can directly transact with Moderna for vaccine procurement or avail of the AstraZeneca vaccines that the city is also providing for the residents, he said.
Lyndsell said in its drive against the spread of Covid-19, Transcom vowed to strengthen its partnership with the local government.
He recalled that they also pledged to donate half a million pesos to the city’s South Hill Quarantine Facility to support local residents.
“The firm’s commitment is to go above and beyond the minimum set of requirements by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with respect to workplace prevention and control of the disease,” Lyndsell added.
Following the recent incident where 41 of its employees tested positive for Covid-19, Transcom Bacolod ceased its onsite operation and yet to resume probably today, February 9.
Transcom now runs its Bacolod operations at 95 percent work at home.
The company said it hopes to maintain a large percentage of its Philippine operations on a work at home setup even after the pandemic with guidance from its clients.
Meanwhile, employees who are designated to work onsite went through another round of company-sponsored RT-PCR test on Saturday, February 6.
The company said it is separating the onsite team into two groups that will be assigned in two separate buildings.
These employees will be prevented from having close interactions as an additional safeguard to minimize any risk of transmission. Spacing between workstations are widened to enforce stricter social distancing guidelines.
Following the recommendations of the EOC Task Force, Transcom is set to install additional safety equipment such as High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters and other air circulation devices.
It will also work closely with the local government and landlord of its Bacolod facilities to ensure that surrounding businesses are also held to the same high standards to protect employees and the wider community.
It said onsite protocols such as BaCTrac check-in, online daily health status declaration, and company-initiated antigen tests every seven days are strictly implemented, adding that the company also maintains readily available personal protective equipment supplies for its employees.
“Heeding calls for help, the company provided care packs, which consisted of food and water supplies, for 150 employees who were put on strict lockdown by local officials,” it also said.
Lyndsell said prior to the Covid-19 breakout incident, Transcom’s Bacolod site completed and passed the Dole audit which covered mandatory provisions on Covid-19 prevention, along with occupational health and safety and general labor standards on July 3, 2020 and October 21, 2020.
He said its health and safety measures are strictly aligned with the Interim Guideline on Workplace Prevention and Control of Covid-19 of the Dole and DTI, which was issued on May 1, 2020, and the subsequent Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A of the same agencies issued on August 15, 2020.
“Compliance with health and safety protocols is not just about protecting Transcom but also about protecting our families and the wider community. In the spirit and true meaning of ‘malasakit’ all our employees are reminded of our duty to care for ourselves and others,” the official added.