How to reopen businesses during COVID times: Two startups get into the hand-holding act

As Corporate India tries to limp into a new normal amidst a raging pandemic, unlocking offices and getting its staff to get back to their desks, it brings in its own set of challenges.

Companies are trying to ensure full adherence to COVID-related safety protocols suggested by different layers of the administration. That is where few experts are pitching in with help.

Teamlease, a job portal for entry-level employees and blue-collar workers, has started suggesting large corporates how to restart their businesses, while keeping their employees safe.

Teamlease is undertaking a rigorous analysis of these workplaces and coming out with COVID-compliance reports for these companies, many of which are in the Information Technology space.

Another startup, Zuper, is helping the field staff of certain companies with COVID protocols.

Prashant Singh, Business Head, Teamlease Services, says: “We have completed this audit for three companies, and currently undertaking for 10 more. We are in the process of talking to 50 large companies to undertake the COVID-19 audit.”

Top human resource executives in large corporations are worried about keeping their staff safe as they slowly start getting back to offices. Things become more complex for companies operating in a multi-branch, multi-city environment, with different state government rules across different campuses.

As Singh points out they have made elaborate points on what are the rules across locations around segregation of employees, staggered work timings, maintenance of proper hygiene for employees and support staff, and also in keeping a close tab on their health parameters.

Teamlease experts study all these aspects from the security gate to internal conference rooms and prepare a detailed project report.

“Many tech companies have given work from home, but not everybody can function like this. Hence our report is extremely valuable for companies which need employees to get back to their work stations,” Singh added.

Zuper comes to the aid of field staff While Teamlease is ensuring that physical offices can restart safely, Zuper is helping companies ensure that their field work force is following COVID-19 safety protocols.

Zuper cofounder Raghav Gurumani said that they are working with furniture retailer Ikea India to manage their team of assemblers, who work across the country, abide by COVID-19 safety protocols.

Zuper runs a platform through which the field officials answer a set of questions on health parameters, take selfies, and record their body temperature. Following this, Zuper generates a report for the customer as well as Ikea confirming that the staff is safe to travel. Further, it also ensures that the staff from containment zones do not step out or they do not get into customer premises, which might be in restricted areas.

“By using our platform, businesses can keep track of their staff. In case, tomorrow the government asks for a report, they can auto-generate it with a click of a button and submit,” said Gurumani.

Zuper is working with a clutch of companies globally and pitching this product to Indian tech startups like fintech players which have a distributed workforce and need to keep track of their health parameters.

Gurumani pointed out that a lot of companies are using rudimentary Excel sheets or Google sheets to track the health of their employees, but by using their platform, companies can maintain COVID-19 compliance.