COVID-19 Updates:

Project Resolute

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve at an unparalleled pace, the health and safety of our Tribe and families remains our number one priority. We make sure that we minimize the risks related to the spread of this disease.

Since the announcement of the enhanced community quarantine of the entire Luzon Island in the Philippines, we have taken the necessary actions to ensure business-critical functions and services can operate normally.

We are committed to ensuring that our Tribe has all the resources it needs to manage the situation as it unfolds. We have expanded our work-from-home policy and advised our Tribe to work remotely. From best practices to dedicated support services, we do our best to help speed up the adoption of remote work and fuel business continuity, as we are well aware of the importance of the continuation of our operations.

We proactively reach out to our Tribe through our communication channels to ensure their work-from-home readiness and that they have all the equipment they need to accomplish their tasks efficiently and effectively. In addition, our IT support team remains available 24/7 for technical assistance.

We continue to monitor developments and follow guidance from the Department of Health and other health authorities locally and from around the world. The main goal of these efforts is to keep our Tribe and families safe, but also to secure smooth operations. We would like to reassure you that we are adapting our operations to the challenges of this global crisis. We are doing everything we can to continue to deliver positive results and meet your needs.

All of this would not be possible without the help and support of our amazing Tribe. We were able to mobilize very quickly and enact our business continuity plan in order to keep jobs.

We will always be here for our Tribe, families, and valued partners, during these difficult times. We believe we can overcome these challenges as we find tremendous hope in our strength and resilience as ONE TRIBE.

This is our goal.
This is our Project Resolute.

Carmen Booth
CEO



Telecommuting

Telecommuting is how we approach the way we work during this outbreak. Our telecommuting plan has been carried out successfully with support from top management, our crisis management team and our IT team to make sure our team members are provided with the technology and tools to ensure smooth operations.
Beyond technology and functional processes, we have also established a virtual open-door management policy, just as there is in the office. Making sure people are accessible and can be easily engaged. We have also made sure our Technical Support Team is always available so all of our remote workers can get help when needed. But the core of any telecommuting program is trust and we are lucky to have amazing people working with us that made this transition less bumpy.

Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings are not new to us due to the nature of our business and the transition to virtual meetings has been relatively painless. We are currently using various tools like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet to carry out team meetings.

Collaborative Tools

Staying flexible in times of crisis is important for us. Our existing technologies have already established our collaborative rhythm prior to transition to remote work and these tools are crucial components more than ever to help us maintain communication and productivity. We use Zoho, Google Suite & Zoom’s Business Plan for the majority of our collaboration needs.

Online Training and Webinars

Employee training is important to us in so many ways. It helps improve employee engagement and increases employee retention. If done right, it also has a positive impact on efficiency, innovation and productivity.

As we look to a future that has become even more digital, and given our work-from-home setup, we have reimagined our learning workplace and recently launched the B&P Academy—our very own learning program which provides on-boarding training, technical skills development training, soft skills development training, products and services training, leadership training, and others to our employees via online training and webinars.

Virtual Recruitment and On-boarding

COVID-19 presents a unique challenge for recruiting teams across the globe and we have been turning to technology to get creative with our recruitment processes and modifying our recruitment funnel. Some businesses are still in operation and are still actively looking for remote staff which makes our service essential.

Fortunately, technology is on our side to help minimize exposure while still producing quality hires for your business requirements. Our recruitment team is fully functional and a virtual recruitment plan is currently in place. Shifting to a virtual method allows us to successfully conduct interviews and onboard employees online. We are also managing our candidate experience with thoughtful communication, empathy and transparency.

Global markets have been severely disrupted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses are compelled to find innovative solutions to prevail over the growing negative repercussions of this unprecedented crisis. As a result of different quarantine measures imposed by governments across the globe, certain industries find themselves operating in a fundamentally new reality and companies feel the need to evaluate how they will respond to business unusual. Many organizations have suffered losses while their business continuity plans may have not been sufficient to deal with the fast-changing variables presented by COVID-19.

This global health crisis has debilitated many aspects of the entire operations of businesses, and our ability to manage remote work was put to the test. With limited resources and within an extremely limited time, we were able to adopt digital ways of utilizing new channels for remote work collaboration and address concerns to create an efficient work-from-home arrangement with increased security standards.

As one of the leading outsourcing companies driven by the latest technology, we are raring to go the extra mile to bolster your business especially during these trying times. We are fully capable of monitoring all relevant changes that may affect your business as well as identifying risks and opportunities to help you better prepare for the future and give a boost to your work-from-home arrangement. Our team is comprised of industry experts who continually excel in their respective fields and are passionate about the work they do to ensure the continuity of your most critical business functions.

Here at Booth & Partners, our targeted outsourcing solutions are people-oriented and are guaranteed to positively transform your customer experience. Truly, these are rapidly changing times. We believe it is crucial to let you know that we have continued to support all on-going and new campaigns of our clients since the emergence of COVID-19. In the past four months, we were able to successfully migrate all face-to-face work to visual alternatives and remote work set-up with the help of innovative tools and our talented IT department. Looking ahead, we see countless opportunities to help you stay close to your customers during this delicate period of change.

We are more than keen to help your business adapt to these newly emerging needs. We are here and pleased to help guide your strategies and way of thinking with regard to running your operations amid the COVID-19 crisis. Just give us a call and we will make sure to respond to your queries as soon as possible.

March 12, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered strict community quarantine in the National Capital Region from March 15 until April 12, suspending all classes and government work in the region.

March 14, 2020
The Department of Labor and Employment released flexible work arrangement guidelines following stricter community quarantine and social distancing.

March 16, 2020
President Duterte elevated the community quarantine enforced in Metro Manila to an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to cover the entire Luzon. Army troops were sent to man checkpoints around Metro Manila to stop the spread of COVID-19.

March 17, 2020
President Duterte placed the whole country under a state of calamity for a period of six months “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant.” DOLE allocated over P1.4B to help over 260,000 workers in the private sector affected by COVID-19.

March 20, 2020
Booth & Partners adopted remote work strategies to ensure business continuity and operations less than a week after the ECQ was implemented. With the help of our dedicated IT team, around 80-90% of our Tribe was able to work from home with configured laptops and the tools needed in place.

April 24, 2020
President Duterte announced that several provinces in the country, including some areas in Luzon, will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) when the Luzon-wide ECQ ends on April 30.

April 30, 2020
President Duterte has approved the recommendations made by the COVID-19 task force on rules to be imposed in areas under ECQ and GCQ.

May 1, 2020
President Duterte issues Executive Order 112, which sets aside any quarantine declaration by a local government unit and places ten areas including Metro Manila under ECQ until May 15, 2020.

May 12, 2020
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) places Metro Manila, Cebu City and Laguna province under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for the period of May 16 to May 31.

May 29, 2020
President Duterte approved the recommendation of the IATF to ease the restriction in Metro Manila from MECQ to GCQ starting June 1 to June 15.

June 16, 2020
Authorities extended GCQ for Metro Manila to June 30. Under GCQ, more businesses are permitted to open and public transport is operational.

July 1, 2020
After placing Metro Manila under GCQ for a month, President Duterte again extended GCQ for the capital region until July 15 as COVID-19 cases rise to 38,511.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. They are zoonotic, which means they can be transmitted from animals to people.

Symptoms:
– Fever
– Tiredness
– Dry cough

Some people may experience:
– Aches and pains
– Nasal congestion
– Runny nose
– Sore throat
– Diarrhea
– Headache
– Loss of taste or smell
– Skin rash or finger discoloration

Frequently asked questions on Covid-19:
How does it spread?
The disease can spread by coming into close contact with someone who has the virus. It can also be spread by coughing, sneezing, and touching surfaces that have droplets of the virus on them. As per the World Health Organization, airborne spread has not been reported for COVID-19 and it is not believed to be a major driver of transmission based on available evidence.

How do we avoid the spread of COVID-19?
– Clean your hands thoroughly and regularly with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
– Maintain at least one-meter distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing and/or sneezing.
– Avoid traveling to places with local transmission and/or COVID-19 outbreak.
– Be fully informed about the latest updates on COVID-19 thru WHO and local health authorities, as well as trusted news sources and media outlets.

What should I do if I think I have got COVID-19 symptoms?
– If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call your nearest hospital in advance. Follow the directives of your local health authority and barangay health office.
– Self-isolate by staying at home if you begin to feel unwell up until you fully recover, even with mild symptoms such as headache, low grade fever, and slight runny nose.

When should I use facemasks?
– If you are coughing or sneezing
– If you are taking care of an individual with respiratory symptoms

Can the virus only affect older people?
People of all ages can be infected by the virus. It can happen to anyone and everyone, but older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease) are more vulnerable to it.

Are Antibiotics and Vitamin C effective in treating the virus?
Antibiotics only work against bacteria, while Vitamin C can only help boost your immune system. The COVID-19 is a virus, therefore, Antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment. However, if you are hospitalized because of the virus, you may receive Antibiotics since bacterial co-infection is possible.

Do hot and humid climates help kill the virus?
COVID-19 can be transmitted in all areas, including those with hot and humid weather. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, no matter what the external temperature or weather is. The only way to get rid of germs and viruses is by keeping your hands clean.

Resources:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
https://covid19.healthypilipinas.ph/
https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV
https://www.covid19.gov.ph/