Employers encourage working remotely to minimize spread of illness

Working from home over COVID-19 fears

Some cities are encouraging people to work from home where possible.

HOUSTON - More people across the United States are being encouraged by their employers to work from home. As of Tuesday evening, there were almost 1,000 Coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to recent reports, companies like Twitter, Google, Amazon, and Dell have employees temporarily working from home to avoid contracting COVID-19.

“There’s a willingness to be proactive right now,” said Jared Polak, a business consultant and owner of Entre Results. “You want to have things in place if it does get worse.”

So far there are 13 COVID-19 cases in the Houston area. All of the cases are linked to travel overseas. While there is zero confirmed community spread in the Houston area, some believe that businesses should start getting a plan together just in case.

“There is a fear that if it gets worse, to be reactive and not proactive,” said Polak. “You might as well have a game plan in place if things get worse and now is the time to do it.”

It’s estimated that roughly 50 percent of people have jobs that don’t require an office. Some of the benefits include saving commute time and creating your own hours.

“You have to have goals and priorities for every team member,” said Polak. “People have different flows and different schedules anyways. It’s really about getting results, not the tactics of getting there.”

If you have questions or concerns about COVID-19, call Houston’s call center at (832) 393-4220