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SURVEY: Alternative working arrangements a popular option for local companies since COVID-19

More than 50 percent of locally-based companies that participated in a recent survey have offered alternative working arrangements for their employees since the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting the territory.

This is according to a recent report by HireBVI – a local online employment agency – which surveyed 26 companies from various economic sectors between March 31 and April 7.

The report stated, “58 percent of the companies that were surveyed has provided alternative work arrangement to its employees while 35 percent has not provided arrangements and may never provide such arrangements.”

Remote working most popular option

The survey said the most popular alternative work arrangement option was for employers to enable their employees the ability to operate remotely while the crisis persists.

A total of 63 percent of all the companies offering alternative arrangements said they offer workers the option to work remotely. Some 16 percent offered flextime while 13 percent reduced the hours of their workers.

Curfew affected businesses

The report also found that eight percent of the overall companies require their employee’s presence to be operational, and therefore could not provide an alternative work arrangement.

These companies, according to HireBVI, fall within industries such as health, manufacturing and wholesale, security services and cleaning.

The companies, which were not approved by government as essential businesses, were all forced to close following government’s 24-hour curfew.

HireBVI has said the objective of the survey was to attain an overall idea of the actions and response of the human resource of local companies during the pandemic.

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5 Comments

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  1. Really? says:

    It seems that HirsBVI only surveyed office based companies. What about plumbers. electricians, gardeners, stores – none of those can work remotely!

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    • @Really? says:

      It’s time for stores to have an online option…where orders can be made online and delivered. Don’t you see our economy is diversifying…door to door delivery is now a possibility.

  2. Retired says:

    HireBVI needs to do another survey of at least 300 businesses all over the BVI not just office companies in Road Town.

  3. Nick says:

    Did they forgot charters companies who does hire more poeple than anybody else?

    • Just saying .... says:

      How about all hospitality related companies?

      They “surveyed 26 companies from various economic sectors between March 31 and April 7”.

      What sectors?

      You may want to survey a few more companies in a more diverse way before you make assumptions as a whole.

      How about sister islands companies that have been devastated by events both externally and internally? Only work most of us employees are going to be doing at home is gardening!

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