In response to the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, many companies are requiring some or all of their employees to work from home.
While working remotely does provide some advantages such as saving time and money by eliminating commuting, it can also increase stress levels. For many, this is an unexpected development they may be unprepared for.
In ManpowerGroup latest report, What Workers Want, it mentioned that workers are prioritizing balance and choice and it’s non-negotiable. People want to choose where, when and how they work, and that doesn’t mean millennials logging on in coffee shops. They want the social aspect of work with the flexibility to accommodate the demands of One Life, the sharing of caring and the desire to boost their well-being.
“8 in 10 want more remote work to better balance family life – and most believe they’ll have a better work life blend going forward”
Working remotely can be challenging under normal circumstances—but for those doing so for the first time or adjusting to sharing their home office with children, spouses or roommates—it is important to create structure and expectations. This applies to your colleagues and also within your home.
POTENTIAL CHALLENGES WORKING REMOTELY:
- Lack of colleagues and managers to collaborate with and stay on task
- Working too many or too few hours
- Managing work/life balance and establishing boundaries to limit distractions
- Lack of everyday face-to-face interaction, increased feelings of isolation and decreased motivation and trust
- Potential for miscommunication due to lack of non-verbal cues
To work effectively, you must understand how you operate and what allows you to be focused and productive. Managing your energy is key to focused work.
Additionally, schedule meetups! Meeting with other people on your team will increase trust and helps team members bond with each other.
More tips can be read here.
Kuala Lumpur, 21 October 2020 – Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad (“Gibraltar BSN”) on Tuesday distributed 3,000 pieces of washable and reusable face masks to the residents of Abdullah Hukum Apartment as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) programme.
Abdullah Hukum Apartment is the main beneficiary of Gibraltar BSN’s flagship CSR programme. The Apartment is located in Lembah Pantai, an area that recently recorded several COVID-19 cases, and is home to 600 B40 households mostly made up of school going children, working adults, and elderly folk. Gibraltar BSN’s proactive and timely deployment of the reusable masks in the densely populated area fortifies the community’s defence against transmission of the virus.
Rangam Bir, Chief Executive Officer at Gibraltar BSN said, “The usage of face masks as a self-protection measure is key in the fight against Covid-19. However, we realised that the purchase of disposable masks for daily usage has become a financial burden to most B40 families living in urban areas. The distribution of these eco-friendly face masks reaffirm our commitment to protect the Lembah Pantai community where we operate in and we hope that our support will help reduce Abdullah Hukum’s residents’ monthly expenses in protecting their families.”
Abdullah Hukum Apartment is 5 minutes away from Gibraltar BSN’s headquarters in KL Eco City. Earlier in June, Gibraltar BSN also raised over RM10,000 via an internal fund raiser to purchase essential food items for 200 households struggling to put food on the table during the Movement Control Order.
Under its three (3) year CSR programme, Gibraltar BSN aims to improve the health outcomes of Abdullah Hukum’s B40 residents through intervention programmes that promote active and healthy lifestyles. The first phase of the programme kicked off in December 2019 with the upgrading of the Apartment’s old children playground equipment and badminton court. By the end of the programme, the residents of Abdullah Hukum will have their very own mini-recreational park complete with a jogging track, outdoor exercise machines, and a reflexology path.
Join us for the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) that will be hosted virtually and in-person on October 28 – 29 from Hanoi, Vietnam and it starts at 9:00am (MYT). This year’s event will highlight regional projects that are currently underway, envisioned for the future and incorporate best practices for interested companies to play a leadership role.
This includes major U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Strategy initiatives: The Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network (ITAN), and Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy Initiative (Asia EDGE).
The Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) is the leading event to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the United States and its partners throughout the Indo-Pacific.
AMCHAM Malaysia will be represented by one of our members, Keysight Technologies, who will speak on a CSR Panel alongside other U.S. business leaders from the American Chambers of Commerce in Myanmar and Thailand at Indo-Pacific Business Forum from 12:25pm – 1:35pm (MYT). They will exchange views on the state of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the region in this moderated panel. Participants will discuss the endurance of this key American value; what it means in the context of the region, how CSR was leveraged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this year changed – and didn’t change.
AMCHAM is proud to be selected to showcase our MY AMCHAM CARES program at the CSR Excellence Showcase in this Forum. Be sure to lookout for our virtual exhibit booth at the exhibit hall as well!
Priming and expanding its talent pool is what Malaysia needs to focus on to keep its edge and retain its position as a favoured destination for global value chains.
AMCHAM’s Penang Dialogue, “Resetting for Tomorrow: Malaysia’s Opportunity in Global Value Chains”, that was held virtually, revolved around Malaysia’s response to a rapidly evolving global business environment.
John Neuffer, President and CEO of Semiconductor Industry Association, opened the program highlighting Malaysia’s significant role as a leading hub for semiconductors.
Subsequent panels looked at what was needed to keep Malaysia ahead in a competitive environment including stability and clarity to reassure investors of a secure supply chain. But it was the quality, mobility, and diversity of talent that dominated all discussions as was the need for English which will allow young teams to collaborate with their counterparts and spur innovation.
The centrepiece of the program featured the Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Chow Kon Yeow, and the US Ambassador to Malaysia, HE Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir in a conversation with AMCHAM CEO Siobhan Das that highlighted recent large US investments, the Penang2030 vision and opportunities for US technology to support the development of advance manufacturing in Malaysia’s growth.
InvestKL, the investment promotion agency tasked to attract Fortune 500 and Forbes 200 global multinational companies (MNCs) has achieved its KPI mandate of attracting and facilitating 100 MNCs to set up their Regional Services Hubs in Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL). These MNCs have contributed an investment amount of RM 15.2 billion, as well as the creation of 13,962 regional high skilled jobs.
On 1 June 2020, Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Amendment 2018) came into effect. The Act, which provides for corporate and personal liability for corruption committed by employees or associates may be punitive in nature, but at the heart of it intends to encourage businesses to take pre-emptive measures in ensuring their activities are conducted with integrity.
On 21 October, AMCHAM hosted an in-depth discussion with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the nature and scope of the legal provision, and the need for commercial organizations to ensure adequate corruption prevention procedures are in place.
The session was presented by Jayantha Kumar Sen Gupta, Head of the Community Relations Branch of the Community Education Division of the MACC.
Participants and members are invited to submit any further questions on this legal provision to [email protected].
