COVID-19 prompts new work from home etiquette, employees to stay connected virtually

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly, several employees in the United States have started to work from home in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. According to reports, some companies are requiring employees to go on camera to make sure employees look focused on work and also to make sure that they stay connected. Apart from offices, Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose is also enforcing the school dress code via video as the principal of the school believes that it will help keep students focused. 

The unprecedented coronavirus outbreak has prompted a new work from home etiquette and the employees are directed to abide by them. While speaking to an international media outlet, a data architecture consultant, Andre Hilden said that he missed a memo from his company last week requiring employees to use video conferencing for all the meetings while working from home. He reportedly said that the memo also included rules which banned pets at the virtual meetings. 

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Another employee from Venture capitalist, David Wu reportedly said that he dresses to make a good impression even on video calls. He added that he dresses depending on the client. Entrepreneurs see him in a T-shirt, while investors see him in a shirt, however, he further said that it is always paired with sweatpants these days. As per international media reports, a clothing store owner is also using #workfromhome to market business casual outfits on social media platforms. The owner reportedly said that she was looking for creative ways to help her survive the hardest time she has experienced since the day she opened shop 26-year-ago. 

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Work from home policies

Several internet giants have brought in their own policies to protect their staff from infection. Earlier this month, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft also advised their employees to work from home. Google has also been restricting visits to its offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and New York and Apple has also encouraged employees to work from home. On the other hand, Washington State Department also issued an advisory to all employers in the state and instructed them to maximize teleworking wherever possible.

While employees are adjusting to the new work-from-home etiquette, anxiety is also rising inside major US corporations regarding work-from-home policies. Coronavirus has majorly affected the financial services and the banks are under mounting pressure to allow employees to work from home. Cities across the country including New York and San Francisco have also shut down bars and other public gathering spaces in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly virus. 

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