THE COVID-19 pandemic has drastically transformed the business landscape in Jamaica with many organisations mandating or encouraging employees to work from home, but it came with benefits as well as challenges for businesses seeking to maintain engagement with team members.

Many companies resorted to virtual meetings and various online activities amid the restrictions imposed by the health authorities to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Communications and entertainment provider Flow Jamaica said it was quick out of the blocks with various measures to manage and collaborate with employees, enabling more ways for them to connect with each other during the heightened period of restrictions imposed by the Government.

“The psychological impact on team members dealing with COVID-19 and of working from home has been a priority for our senior leaders,” said Phadra Saunders, people director at Flow. “During the work-from-home period, we utilised our technology platforms to host virtual lunches, evening drinks, talk-a-latte sessions, and other forms of engagement. We also hosted our virtual church service, which allowed all members of our team to spend an afternoon of worship together,” she added.

Other activities included a virtual ‘Eat-Move-Center’ event during which team members participated in an afternoon of discussion on good nutrition for healthy immune systems and general good health. Nutritionist Francine Mahfood responded to questions from team members, providing practical and useful information, the company said in its release.

The company’s employees were also able to participate in a virtual exercise session with Gym Manager Kurt Dunn as well as a yoga session with Jennifer Morgan, to support physical and mental health, the release continued.

The virtual exercise sessions now take place twice daily and have been expanded to include Flow team members and their families across the Caribbean.

“A huge part of the psychological impact, which we sought to manage early, was to ensure that our team members all had the assurance that the company was doing everything in its power to address the needs of team members,” Saunders explained. “Our country manager has been hosting almost weekly virtual town halls where we openly discuss the measures we are implementing to take care of our people. We’re immensely happy and proud about this and we’re still riding high on the feedback received to date.”

The company said it also hosted a virtual session with counsellor Patrick Bailey from Family Life Ministries and, according to Saunders, this session allowed team members and their families to share concerns anonymously about managing worry, fears, and stresses about health and finances, and proved to be a great blessing at a time when the COVID-19 numbers were increasing.

Some employees expressed their sentiments during the company’s internal broadcast programme Open Lines, which facilitates real time questions and answers.

“I swear we work for the best company in Jamaica. Which other company would do church service and these Open Lines? We blessed!” one staff member said.

Another expressed: “I truly appreciate these sessions. Thank you, Flow.”

A summer series of engagement activities was rolled out to further support employees in various areas, Flow said.

During July and August the company engaged staff in virtual information-sharing sessions to cover topics including: Hurricane preparedness and business readiness; energy conservation tips with the Jamaica Public Service Company; staycation tips; and sessions on financial management which covered useful information with team members on how to maintain their budgets during the pandemic.

In addition to the virtual sessions, an Employee Assistance Fund has been established by Flow’s parent company, Liberty Latin America, to provide help for any staff member who may experience financial challenges as a result of COVID-19, the release said.