Daihatsu Malaysia Puts Employees Health and Wellness First During Pandemic

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August 6, 2021

“The health and safety of all employees is Daihatsu’s top priority, ” said Daihatsu Malaysia Managing Director Arman Mahadi.

Daihatsu Malaysia Promotes Health Management

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact the world, Daihatsu Malaysia Sdn Bhd (DMSB) is amongst a selection of companies facing the current challenges with compassion, sincerity and kindness, by taking care of their employees during these volatile times.

“We believe that how businesses respond to this situation will have a lasting impact on employee’s behaviour including engagement, productivity and loyalty. We also understand that the level of safety at work and job security are top concerns for employees in these uncertain times and so the employer should help address these particular fears in certain ways,” said Managing Director Arman Mahadi.

The health and safety of all employees, he stressed is Daihatsu’s top priority. He revealed that they have had up to 50 per cent of their workforce work-from-home prior and post restriction movement control order. The company, he continued also recognises employees that are classed as high risk, such as older adults or those with underlying medical conditions to work-from-home. Sufficient support, he added, including the use of a laptop as well as other office equipment was provided to minimise the physical presence in the office.

To help employees through the pandemic, DMSB has come out with a package of specially designed financial, medical and mental health benefits. These, Arman said, include 100 per cent coverage for swab tests and associated medical visits related to Covid-19, as well as advocating and encouraging employee’s vaccination through the application of corporate vaccinations via the Program Imunisasi Industri Covid-19 Kerjasama Awam-Swasta (PIKAS) and Retail Industry Vaccination Program (RiVAC). Other benefits include paid medical leave for employees diagnosed with Covid-19 and the extension of paid medical leave if needed to lessen an employee’s financial concerns should they need further treatment. There are also well-being modules rolled out on a weekly basis to employees in the office or those working at home to stay physically and mentally healthy.

“Apart from that, other additional forms of support are also available. For instance, DMSB has stated its own ‘white-flag’ initiatives by providing donations or other forms of support to seek medical care or food supplies, as well as daily necessities for employees diagnosed with Covid-19. Relief aid to support employees who may be struggling financially, such as sales advisors and contract employees is also available. We also make sure that proper disinfectant supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for our employees in the essential fields such as service centres and showrooms are available if they are unable to work from home. Immediate home or residential sanitising services for employees with Covid-19 are also a crucial initiative of us, so as for the employee to safeguard their family and to avoid further virus contraction with their family members.”

As for customers who have had direct or close contact with any employee diagnosed with Covid-19, he explained that the company will compensate the full cost for any needed swab tests. However, he added that this only applies to occurrences that happened at either one of the showrooms or service centres.

Back to the Workplace – How Daihatsu Adapts?

As employees are counting on the company to help them to get back to work safely and to bring business operations back to some semblance of normality, Arman stressed that the health and safety of their workforce has always been the management’s top priority.

“We have to safeguard our employees’ well-being by putting our team first at all times. To create safe and healthy workplaces, Daihatsu has implemented company-wide measures aiming at preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as Covid-19. Everyone has a part to play. From the management team, top-level executives through to the company board of directors, every group must understand and ensure that the standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance with federal, state and local orders are adhered to as restrictions start to ease. New protocols, including making changes to the layout of the workplace, moving workstations farther apart and adjusting employees’ schedules, as well as implementing shift rotation or flexible work hours to reduce the number of people in the building at one time. Additionally, where applicable necessary returning employees can work shorter working hours, and be granted restrictions to work longer hours at the office, in this way, the company seeks to ensure a smooth return to work.”

To maintain clean work environments that restrict the spread of infectious diseases, he continued, the company has carried out education activities highlighting the importance of hand-washing and other fundamental hygiene practices. “DMSB seeks to ensure the ‘three Cs’ – crowded places, confined spaces and close contact are avoided to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The employee will have strict guidelines for the use of PPE, random check-ins on their health progress and personal self-hygiene care while checking in on the ongoing family situation with employees has also been established. All these factors are to ensure every employee has a healthy state of mind, both at work and home to create a harmonious environment and safeguard others.”

The range of support initiatives that DMSB has undertaken as part of their return to work programme, he points out has aided employees in several areas, from health checks, lifestyle guidance, health consultations, mental health training, and return-to-work programmes. Through these initiatives, he explained that the company has continued to encourage all its employees to work on managing their own health.

“Daihatsu believes that the physical and mental health of its employees is extremely important, to enable them to work with energy and enthusiasm. As part of our efforts to create a work environment that promotes health, the company is additionally engaged in wide-ranging measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These include educational activities for our employees, creating work environments that minimise infections, and through the advocating and encouraging of employees to receive corporate vaccinations,” he stressed.

Daihatsu Covid-19 Special Task Force Formed

“DMSB has formed the Daihatsu Covid-19 Special Task Force. This Special Task Force reviews on-going Covid-19 courses and actively works towards strategic countermeasure planning. This includes a 24/7 point of contact who is first in line to register any Covid-19 cases that arise and administer support to the affected employee by monitoring their progress battling the virus by monitoring the affected employee’s health progress.

He added that to tackle the Covid-19 issue in the workplace, all of the DMSB’s human resources departments work together with the safety and health care departments to provide a rapid initial response in case of infection. Wherever necessary, he said, worksites also share information frequently with local public health centres.

For employees who have been infected, he added that occupational health personnel carry out follow-up consultations via telephone and through other means, in order to reduce any mental strain that they may be experiencing.

Besides supporting the employees, DMSB has committed to do its part in trying to mitigate the impact of the worldwide pandemic on the country. At the start of the pandemic, DMSB and MBM Resources Berhad funded a RM300,000 medical donation channelled through the Sumbangan Perubatan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) to support the nation’ healthcare system in the ongoing battle against Covid-19.

“We know this is not a simple task. However, DMSB has managed to accomplish and improve as we move along. We will try in any way we can to support and prioritise the well-being of employees and their families. The management team must lead with empathy and demonstrate an understanding that while all of the employees have experienced this crisis, not all of them have experienced it in the same way. Therefore, we have to recognise our whole workforce, as we are all in this together and no one is left behind regardless of their job post or designation. Providing emotional commitment towards all of our employees is equally crucial, as employees will feel long term assurance followed by better engagement, productivity and loyalty.”

Based on Daihatsu Global slogan ‘Light You Up’, Arman commented that Daihatsu promotes health management while lightening the burden of humanity through:

Light illuminates the darkness: there will be a glimpse of hope amid the current pandemic if all of us play our part in combating virus and supporting each other;

Light is also lightness in terms of weight or burden: DMSB providing aid, relief and other resources not only towards its employees but also its customers and those who are in direneed; and

Directing light and lightening the load: Delivering a ‘light’ lifestyle (healthy, peaceful and harmonious) to each and every person in the world.

“Daihatsu believes that securing the safety and health of its employees is of the utmost importance, and this forms the foundation for its corporate activities. We seek to ensure that none of the three elements that comprise safety and health—namely, people, things, and management—is lacking,” he concluded.

大马大发疫情期间把员工健康与福祉放在首位

随着冠病大流行继续影响世界，大发马来西亚私人有限公司（DMSB）是以同情、真诚和善意面对当前挑战的公司之一，并在这个动荡时期照顾他们的员工。

董事经理阿曼说：“我们相信企业如何应对这种情况，将对员工的行为如敬业度、生产力和忠诚度产生持久的影响。我们也理解，在这个充满不确定的时期，员工最关心的是工作的安全和保障，因此雇主应以某些方式协助解决这些特殊的担忧。”

他强调，员工的健康和安全是大发的首要任务。在行动控制令之前和之后，他透露，他们有多达50% 的员工居家办工。他继续说，该公司也认同让那些被归类为高风险如长者或患有潜在疾病的员工留在家里工作。为此，他补充说，公司提供了足够的支持，包括笔电和其他办公设备，最大限度地减少办公室的员工人数。

为了帮助员工渡过冠病大流行，DMSB推出了特别设计的财务、医疗和心理健康福利配套。阿曼说，这包括百分之百覆盖与冠病相关的拭子测试和看诊，以及通过公私协作工业冠病疫苗接种计划（PIKAS）和和零售业疫苗接种计划 (RiVAC)，倡导和鼓励员工接种疫苗。其他的福利包括为确诊的员工提供带薪病假，并在有需要时延长带薪病假，以减轻需要要进一步治疗的员工在经济方面的担忧。另外，为了保持员工的身心健康，公司还会每周向办公室或居家办公的员工推出福利模块。

“除此之外，公司还提供其他不同形式的支持。例如，DMSB发起了自己的‘白旗运动’倡议，捐款给确诊冠病的员工，或为他们提供其他的支援，寻求医疗或食品供应，以及日常必需品。经济援助那些可能在财务上陷入困境的员工如销售顾问与合同工。我们还确保无法居家办公，在服务中心和陈列室等基本领域的员工，获得公司提供的适当的消毒用品和个人防护设备 (PPE)。为确诊冠病员工提供即时的家庭或住宅消毒服务，也是我们的一项重要举措，保护员工的家人并避免他们家人的进一步感染。”

至于与确诊冠病员工有过直接或密切接触的客户，他解释说，公司将承担他们拭子测试的所有费用。然而，他补充说，这仅适用于在展示厅或服务中心发生的感染事件。

返回工作场所——大发如何适应？

阿曼强调说，由于员工指望公司帮助他们安全地复工并恢复业务运营到某种正常状态，员工的健康和安全一直是管理层的首要任务。

“我们必须将团队放在首位，以保障员工的福祉。为了创造安全和健康的工作场所，大发在全公司范围内采取了防止冠病传播的措施。每个人都有自己需要承担的责任。从公司的管理团队、高级执行员到股东，随着行管令的放宽，每个团队都必须了解并确保遵守联邦、州及地方政府规定的标准作业程序 (SOP)。新的协议，包括改变工作场所的布局，将工作站之间的距离移得更远，调整员工工作时间及实施轮班或弹性工作，以减少建筑物内的人数。此外，必须返岗的员工在适用的情况下可缩短工作时间，并禁止延长办公室办公时间，这样公司才能确保顺利复工。”

他继续说，为了保持清洁的工作环境，限制传染病的传播，公司开展了教育活动，强调洗手和其他基本卫生习惯的重要性。 “DMSB 力求避免“三 C”——拥挤的地方、封闭的空间和近距离的接触，以防止冠病的传播。严格的员工个人防护装备使用指南，随机检查员工的健康状况和个人的自我卫生保健，以及持续与员工一起检查他们的家庭状况都是公司采取的防疫措施。这所有的因素都是为了确保每位员工在工作和家庭均拥有健康的心态，营造和谐的环境，保护他人。”

他指出，公司展开了一系列举措作为支持多个领域的员工重返工作计划的一部分。这包括健康检查、生活方式指导、健康咨询、心理健康培训和复工计划。他解释说，通过这些举措，公司继续鼓励所有员工努力管理自己的健康。

“大发认为员工的身心健康极为重要，以便他们能够充满活力和热情地工作。作为公司努力创造促进健康工作环境的一部分，我们还采取了广泛的措施来防止传染病的传播。其中包括为我们的员工开展教育活动，创造最大限度减少感染的工作环境以及倡导和鼓励员工申请并接种疫苗。”他强调说。

大发成立冠病特别工作组

“DMSB 成立了大发冠病特别工作组。该特别工作组审查导致冠病感染的原因，并制定对应的策列。这包括 24/7全天候联络点，谁是第一个管理登记任何出现冠病病例的人，以监测受影响的员工健康状况。”

为了解决工作场所的冠病问题，他透露，DMSB的人力资源部门与安全及卫生保健部门合作，一旦发生感染就可提供快速的初步反应。他说，在必要时，公司的工作场所也会经常与本地的公共卫生中心共享信息。

对于被感染的员工，他补充说，职业保健人员会通过电话等方式进行后续咨询，以减少员工可能产生的任何精神压力。

除了支持员工外，DMSB也努力为减轻全球冠病大流行对大马的影响出一分力。在该大流行开始时，DMSB和MBM资源有限公司捐献了30万令吉，支持国家医疗系统对抗新冠病毒。该捐款将通过Sumbangan Perubatan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) 发放。

“我们知道这不是一项简单的任务，DMSB在迈步前进的同时已成功完成和持续地改进。我们将竭尽所能支持并优先考虑员工及其家人的福祉。管理团队必须以同理心领导员工，并让员工感受到他们虽然都经历过这场危机，但每个人经历的方式却不尽相同。因此，我们必须认可我们的整个工作团队，因为我们都在同一条船上，不论他们的工作或职位，我们不能让任何人掉队。因此，为我们全体员工提供情感上的承诺同样重要，因为感受到长期保证的员工，将拥有更好的敬业度、生产力和忠诚度。”

基于大发的全球口号“Light You Up”，阿曼评论说，大发通过以下的方式促进健康管理，同时减轻人类的负担：