How long do pharmaceuticals have to work from home?

Dong-A Pharm, GC Pharma, CKD Pharm introduced combined 'distributed work type'

It will be confirmed by next week. The extension will be determined based on the condition of the COVID-19 crisis

More domestic pharmaceutical companies have decided to work from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

Following Dong-A ST and GC Pharm, Chong Kun Dang joined the ranks of all employees from home.

 

Chong Kun Dang said five days ago that it will start working from home for all employees.

 

it will be up to the 13th.

 

Chong Kun Dang and its affiliates do not go to the office, not only salespeople, but also internal employees, except for core employees.

 

On that day, the entire headquarters became quiet as if it had been muted.

 

Among major domestic pharmaceutical companies, Dong-A ST, LG Chem, and GC Pharm made a decision to work from home.

 

In the case of Dong-A ST, the trigger was COVID-19 confirmed staff at the Yong-in R&D Center.

 

On the 27th of last month, Dong-A ST research staff member A was confirmed and the Yong-in research center was closed.

 

Dong-A ST decided to work from home at the head office on the next day.

 

GC Pharm has joined the full-time workforce from the 2nd.

 

This was a quick response to concerns over community infections, including the first confirmed person in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, on the 23rd, and five more people confirmed by March 1.

 

With Chong Kun Dang's joining, the decision to work from home is spreading among domestic pharmaceutical companies.

 

A Chong Kun Dang official said, “We extended the telecommuting scope to all employees to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect our employees”.

 

Most multinational pharmaceutical companies have already started telecommuting.

 

At the end of last month, when the KPAI conducted a questionnaire, none of the 10 surveyed members went to work normally.

 

It has been confirmed that all employees have worked from home or only those who wish to work from home.

 

Other pharmaceutical companies that have not made a full-time telecommuting decision are responding flexibly.

 

Only sales workers with a high risk of infection or transmission will be telecommuted or decided to work from home at the discretion of the team leader or general manager.

 

It includes Yuhan Corporation, Daewoong pharm, Hanmi, Ildong, Jeil Pharm, Dong-Wha, Daewon, Korea United Pharm, LG Chem, Whan In Pharm, and Samil-Pharm.

 

◆Distributed working system' spreads instead of working from home, every other day Recently, more and more companies are doing distributed work instead of working from home.

 

Two or three teams are organized to work from home once every two days or once every three days.

 

Samjin Pharm has all of its sales staff working from home.

 

In the case of in-office work, two groups are organized to distribute work days.

 

Kolmar Korea and CJ Healthcare are similar.

 

Internal workers have been telecommuting every other day since this week.

 

SK Chemicals has been working in three groups and working from home on every fourth day since the 4th.

 

The first group works at home and the other two companies.

 

Instead, they ordered them to work in different spaces, even if they went to work.

 

It is a compromise between normal work and telecommuting.

 

A pharmaceutical company who introduced distributed work explained, "It is intended to reduce the inefficiency caused by all employees' telecommuting work, and to prevent large gaps in case of COVID-19 confirmed patients".

 

◆No choice but to determine the length of work from home based on the situation While a few pharmaceutical companies have entered the COVID-19 special action, attention is focused on 'How long will telecommuting work period?' Companies that actually decide to work from home are notified whether they are working from home on a weekly or daily basis.

 

The complaint is currently being raised, but the company is in a difficult position to announce in advance because the situation is so urgent.

 

A domestic company official who is working at home or working at office voluntarily said, “The decision, including the extension of telecommuting, is at the discretion of the company's senior management, which is difficult at this point and the extension will be decided based on the situation”.

 

An official at another pharmaceutical company that has started all employees' telecommuting said, “Work from home was decided until this week.

 

The COVID-19 situation is very urgent, and if the company goes to work normally, it is being discussed to exclude all salespeople or sales workers in Daegu-Gyeongbuk region first”.

 

In response to this, the government announced in a regular briefing on the 5th that the number of new COVID-19 confirmed patients will gradually decrease.

 

According to the government, the number of confirmed patients has declined to 400 at midnight on the 5th after peaking at 813 on last Feb 28.

 

As the mass inspection of Shincheonji Believers in Daegu was completed, it is carefully judged that the biggest peak was passed.

 

Daily COVID-19 confirmed patients status (Based on March 5, 0:00, Source: the KCDC)

The government has delayed the opening of kindergartens and elementary and high school schools nationwide by Mar 23.

 

Given this situation, it is cautious that each pharmaceutical company will resume its normal work in the second week (March 9) or third week (March 16).

 

An official of a domestic pharmaceutical company said, “We are waiting for the government to lower the crisis alert stage from serious to boundary.

 

However, it is not easy to continue working from home without worry.

 

We expect to return to normal work before the 23rd, the beginning of elementary and secondary school”.

 

A foreign pharmaceutical company official who has been working from home for about a month said that the employees who are working from home are complained of decreased work efficiency and increased fatigue, and the company is discussing a resumption next or next week.