Editor’s note: While big business may often be blamed for causing heavy pollution, they are also in a position to do something about it, or at least help to ensure their employees don’t have to breathe it in so much.

In this Chinese translated article, the trend of allowing office workers to work at home during times of heavy pollution is examined. This article cites foreign national companies like Unilever as adopting this type of policy, one which is praised as having an “industry conscience”.

Source: fung.leo

Starting from December, the air quality of Shanghai has been an incessant cause of worry for people and many are reducing the time they spend outdoors. However, for those people that often stay indoors for long periods of time, especially for those white collar “nine-to-five” office workers, this has become difficult; many have started developing coughs and experiences boredom and low spirits at work, affecting work productivity. Is this something caused by the air pollution? Yesterday, this reporter for the morning edition investigated the situation regarding one Shanghai office’s method of fighting back against air pollution.

Last Friday, the almost 2000 employees of the Shanghai offices of Unilever received an e-mail that was the cause for a great deal of joy: “Aside from necessary and emergency work that needs to be done in the office, would everyone please begin work from home next Monday (December 9).”

Company executives make the final verdict aboard plane

This reporter sought confirmation yesterday from Zeng Xiwen, the Deputy Director of the China branch for Unilever. Zeng confirmed this information and further explained that this so-called “working from home” is not to be construed by the outside world as a “vacation”. All of its employees are able to communicate with each other using e-mail and telephone conferences. And all tasks are able to be completed from home.

This decision to allow “working from home” was made when the Vice-President responsible for North American operations, and also Vice-President of personnel, had flown from Tokyo to Shanghai. When the airplane landed, the smog was grey and hazy. Once disembarking from the plane, they immediately decided that starting from the following Monday, their Shanghai employees will begin to work from home. They also cancelled an upper-management conference for its north Asian district. “Naturally, employees were ecstatic upon hearing this news,” said Zeng Xiwen. At the time the news was issued, it was almost time to get off work. Aside from the sending of a mass e-mail, employees were also notified upon the company shuttle bus.

As understood by this reporter, this was not the first time Unilever had made such a decision to allow its employees to work from home; a similar decision was previously made two years ago during typhoon season.

Office workers praise “industry conscience”

Additionally, engineering software company Autodesk had also notified its employees last weekend that, for the next few days until the warning is lifted, all formal and informal employees from the management level down are able to work from home as a way to lessen the health impact of the air pollution. Other companies are also adopting similar proposals.

In regards to these companies that allow employees to work from home during days of heavy smog, many office workers praise this “industry conscience” and are taking to Weibo and Weixin to express their support for “working from home during smog days”.

There are also companies that haven’t allowed employees to work from home, but have provided employees with face masks and other protective gear. Photos posted on social media sites show employees wearing N95 specialized face masks that are able to protect against PM2.5 that were given to them by employers.

A senior personnel management employee told this reporter that upon encountering terrible atmospheric conditions, an increasing number of companies have adopted the practice of “working from home” throughout the entire world. “At present the setup for remote office work is completely operational. Upon encountering sudden situations like heavy smog or typhoons, allowing employees to work from home is not only conscious of the health and safety of its employees, but also will not have an impact on office work productivity.”

Source: China Daily

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