How has Daraz been keeping its employees safe during COVID-19

Almost all of us had hoped 2020 would be the year we’d make things right. Whether it was time to start hitting the gym, getting married or taking a much needed vacation, it was our time to shine or so we thought. Unbeknownst to any of us, we were taken aback by the sudden rise of the COVID-19 virus. In just a matter of just few months, the entire world was left shaken by this deadly virus.

We were witnessing a global pandemic.

And as the months went by, countless lives were lost, businesses were shutdown, and our livelihood was shaken to its very core. A lingering question circled our minds – Would it ever end?

It’s now 2021, the COVID-19 virus still hasn’t been fully eradicated. But there’s hope. Vaccines have been developed all around the world which has been used to prevent infection or cure anyone who’s been infected from the COVID-19 virus. Maybe, it will end!

Despite such a difficult time, Daraz, Nepal’s biggest online marketplace, managed to provide its customers with the best service possible. Customer were able to acquire all their basic necessities without having to leave their homes. And even during deliveries, Daraz made sure to follow the best hygiene practices to ensure the safety of the all customers and its delivery riders.

But what about its employees? How did Daraz manage its internal workflow during lockdown?

During the nationwide lockdown, all of us here at Daraz were working from home as was the case with many organizations. For about 6-7 months, the office was closed but the work did not stop, the work could not stop. Employees followed their daily 9-6 working hours from their home. It was indeed a unique experience for all of us.

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But what about post lockdown?

Once the lockdown eased up and as offices started to open up, Daraz followed up with the same. But times were different, COVID still hasn’t been fully eradicated and we needed to adapt. A lot has changed since COVID happened. And so Daraz came up with a list of practices which ensured safer working environment for all its employees.

Let’s look at how Daraz has been keeping its employees safe post lockdown.

Team A/B Implementation

Ever since the Daraz office resumed post lockdown, employees have been following the Team A-Team B system where employees are assigned to either Team A or Team B. The teams then have to come to the office every alternate week. For instance, let’s suppose this week is for Team A. So all those who are in Team A will have to come to the office for their regular duty hours while Team B will be working from home. And next week, Team B will come to the office while Team A works from home.

Since the number of employees here at Daraz is quite large, this system allows for a more safer working environment.

Sanitizers & Handwash Availability

Employee safety is the main priority here at Daraz. We follow the best hygiene practices to ensure a safer working environment for everyone at the organization. Hand sanitization and hand washing has become a basic routine for all of us ever since COVID came about.

At Daraz, we have hand sanitizers stationed at different parts of the office such as on every desks, near elevators, in the kitchen, by the doors and meeting rooms.

By placing hand sanitizers in strategic locations throughout the office, Daraz encourages employees to improve their hand hygiene, and make the office a healthier working environment.

Temperature Checks

Temperature checks have become vital during the COVID pandemic. It gives you a quick idea whether or not a person could be infected or not. Which is why it’s crucial to screen an employee’s temperature before they enter the office premise.

Daraz follows a similar pattern. Each employee is screened before they enter the office. If the temperature is below or equal to 37.7 Celsius then they are allowed to enter the office. If the temperature exceeds 37.7 or is much higher than that, entry is denied and necessary precautions are taken.

To date, there hasn’t been any case of an employee who’s temperature has exceed 37.7 Celsius. But you can never be too safe.

Routine Cleanups

Here at Daraz, health and hygiene is of the utmost importance. Which is why we have regular cleanups. All the door handles, desks, switches are sanitized and cleaned daily. Every creek, every corner is swept and cleaned.

Basically the entire office premise is sanitized and cleaned daily.

Shuttle Service

Because of COVID and the lockdown, all the public transportations had been closed off. And even though the lockdown had eased up, public vehicles were not allowed to resume and even if it did, during such a time, there was always the risk of it being overcrowded as is the case with public vehicles in Nepal. This was a major issue for many of the Daraz employees who’d been using the public transport for their daily commute to and from the office before the pandemic.

To counter this, Daraz came up with its own solution – provide shuttle service. It’s our own transportation service for those who require it. The shuttle picks and drops the employees at their required location.

And unlike the public transportations, the Daraz shuttle service is not crowded, it’s sanitized and cleaned daily. So it’s a much more safer option.

You can never be too careful when it comes to your health. The COVID-19 virus is yet to be fully eradicated. Which is why you still need to make sure that you follow the best hygiene practices to ensure your safety as well as your loved ones.

It starts with you!