Since Singapore first entered a lockdown* in April last year, working from home is now the new normal for many Hitachi staff. Many of our colleagues have been working hard behind-the-scene to ease everybody into the remote work arrangement. Catch the video to see how some of our colleagues adapted and overcame this sudden change.
HR Executive, Emelyn Ang shares that most work are now done virtually. “We have to do everything virtually, even bringing in new employees. It has changed the way we work, and I think things have been changing for the better because we are using more technology now and collaboration tools.” she said. Echoing Albert Einstein’s quote where “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”, let us use this pandemic to learn new things and emerge as a better person.
Our colleagues from the Social Innovation Business also seized this opportunity to innovate new digital initiatives as well. Global Marketing & Sales Enablement Manager, Varun Gupta shared how they built a virtual smart city so that people can see the value a smart city brings to a community. He and his team also co-created a solution with other business units to effectively bring our colleagues back to the workplace in a safe fashion.
When everyone continued working from home, our Senior Admin Assistant, Rosle bin Atin was one of the few who could return work on a regular basis. He had to ensure all safety measures were well executed. “I went around to ensure that our colleagues have taken their temperature, and to enforce social distancing measures. I hope to make a difference so everyone returning to office can have a safe environment to work in without fear of getting infected.”
The effort to power good through the pandemic even extends to the reception desk, manned by Zabariah Binte Ali. Even when wearing a face mask, she ensures that her sincerity comes across when greeting guests and visitors. “Previously it was easy to smile at visitors,” she said, “but now that I am wearing a face mask, I have to express my eyes so that our guests and visitors know that I’m smiling at them!”
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*Singapore’s lockdown i.e., the Circuit Breaker was a stay-at-home order and work restriction order from 7 April to 1 June 2020, implemented as a preventive measure by the Singapore Government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.