Some media outlets in Kerala have introduced a shift-based policy at the workplace to reduce the number of staff inside the office at a time.
Malayalam news outlets Asianet News and Manorama News have now allowed for a partial work from home system to enable their employees to practice social distancing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, leading Malayalam news channel Asianet News implemented a partial work from home policy with some teams working in different shifts in office to reduce the number of staff occupying the office building at a given time. “We have been split into three teams with one team permanently working from home. This team has the newsroom software installed in their laptops, so they can prepare bulletins, scrolls or breaking news from their homes. The anchoring and production team come to office in shifts, and work 10-hour shifts every day,” said Sindhu Sooryakumar, Chief Coordinating Editor of Asianet News. A reserve team has also been set aside and this team will switch with the production and anchoring crew every 10 days to come to office, she added. “Since the shift duration has been extended, every 10 days these teams can take leave, and the reserve team will come to office and work. This is how they have split the work. Meanwhile the team working from home will continue to do so. They have been asked to be on home quarantine and not leave their houses much,” Sindhu explained. Apart from the new system that has been introduced to support partial home quarantine, the office building has also stocked up on hand sanitisers and masks for its employees working from the office. “Every one hour, we have cleaners coming to clean the door knobs, handles and other surfaces. Sanitisers are kept in each section and employees are asked to maintain distance from each other,” Sindhu added. Manorama News too also introduced a similar shift-based work from home policy for its employees, according to reports. Other than broadcast news outlets, online and print media such as Madhyamam, a Malayalam daily and website, is also in the process of introducing work from home for its staff. “They are planning to retain a very small team in the office who can push out news quickly. The others will work from home and file stories. This will be done in shifts,” a staff of Madhyamam confirmed to TNM. The media house is planning to convene a meeting on Thursday and bring the new system into effect by Friday, March 20. Madhyamam has also set up hand sanitiser stations at different sections of the building. “Visitors to the building are restricted. Unless it is an emergency, they are advised to not come up. Employees are asked to make phone calls instead of meeting people. There are sanitisers placed for visitors outside of the office,” the employee confirmed.
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