Many companies nowadays have required their employees to undergo COVID-19 testing before they are allowed to report back to work in a physical office environment.
This is to ensure that they are fit to work and to prevent the further spread of the virus in the workplace, tagged by health experts as one of the areas where the spread of the virus commonly happens.
To address this concern, Globe built its own COVID-19 testing facility called “Globe Labs” to give its more than 13,000 employees access to quick, affordable and accurate procedures for diagnosing the disease.
The Department of Health (DOH)-approved and certified facility covers testing for Globe’s employees, their dependents, and employees of its vendor and managed services partners.
Housed in one of Globe’s properties in Mandaluyong City, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory offers ribonucleic acid (RNA) extraction and diagnostic services for COVID-19. Swabbing and processing of the collected specimen are done on-site, with test results released via email within 24 hours.
The Globe PCR Lab can conduct more than 300 tests per day, and if needed, can be increased to a maximum of 800 tests daily.
To prepare for this, Globe created its own Laboratory Information System (LIS), an online portal that will be used to schedule test appointments. LIS will be used to capture the profile of the employee, book appointments, and give relevant information about COVID-19. Testing will be done on employees who are part of the critical skeletal force, those involved in contact tracing, and the ones who manifest symptoms of the illness.
Company-required testing is also free of charge.
“The well-being of our workforce and our vendor partners is of paramount importance. We want to ensure that they remain safe and healthy in order for all of us to serve our customers better. We are doing our best to provide them with the necessary assistance and facilities like Globe Labs for their peace of mind especially during these difficult times,” said Renato Jiao, Globe’s Chief Human Resource Officer.
This is not the first time that Globe initiated COVID-19-related measures to ensure that both its workforce and stakeholders are protected from COVID-19. Last year, the company conducted a series of COVID-19 screenings for its frontliners to help the government curb the spread of the virus.
The company also contributed to the AC Health COVID-19 facility in order to accommodate its workforce and their families who may contract the virus. Globe also continues to observe strict health protocols as mandated by government guidelines upon those who are returning to work.
Globe aligns its actions with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly, UN SDG No. 3 on promoting good health and well-being.