As Coronavirus is spreading and with the arrival of the virus to the US as well, the majority of the labor force across different sectors is advised to start working remotely. Whichever profession and working position allow it, employees are sent home to work from there during the state of the emergency so that the further spread of Coronavirus could be prevented. Construction companies are facing a major challenge as most employees in the sector are not experienced or trained to work remotely.
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Working Remotely in the Construction Sector
As Robert Yuen, CEO and co-founder of project management software company Monograph claims, most construction companies have not invested in documentation, tools, and equipment that would assure smooth remote work for all employees working on a construction project. Furthermore, construction companies are rarely relying on robotics that could be more than helpful in the times of the outbreak such as caused by the Coronavirus. In the construction business, person-to-person interaction is a necessity on the construction site as all workers are collaborating to complete the project in time through physical labor, also adding managers overseeing the project to the equation. Virtual communication is mostly seen between contractors, clients, and stakeholders, making no problem in case scenarios when the work needs to be done remotely.
How Construction Companies Keep Business Going?
Cincinnati’s Messer Construction Co. is relying on technology and is hosting meetings remotely. Any work that needs to be done on the site is done by having employees doing their job 6 feet apart. All employees can access their work from home thanks to a massive database of files, data, and valuable project information. Ferry Electric in Pittsburgh is giving their employees an option to work from home, without making it mandatory. All employees who want to work remotely are getting reimbursement in the form of monetary help for upgrading their home computers for efficient and effective work from home.
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