Absenteeism has not only been reflected in these days in the public sector, but in private sector industries, due to the fact that most of its employees are affected by Covid-19.
The business sector has already begun to feel the absences. For the vice president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), César Dargam, obviously the high level of infections has had an impact on employment.
He argued that companies have proactively made adjustments to strengthen prevention, control and distancing measures.
“We see it as an effect of the current wave, and we plan to regularize in the coming weeks. They are cases of milder symptoms, and faster recovery, given the nature of the prevailing variant ”, he indicated.
Herrera Industries
The president of the National Association of Herrera Companies and Industries (ANEIH), Noel Ureña, expressed that the service companies of the affiliates of this entity have been the most affected and that the contagion behavior has not been the same in all sectors .
Ureña commented that overall, absenteeism in these industries is on average 12%, in some lower and in others higher.
He added that at least people are already joining their jobs thanks to the fact that all the collaborators of the ANEIH associates are vaccinated, even with the third dose, so the coronavirus gives them like a flu, while others they are asymptomatic.
“We hope that everything will normalize as we go, it is a matter of time. The worst in terms of absenteeism we are already exceeding and we are confident that things will continue to improve, “said Ureña.
Meanwhile, David Crown, president of the Association of Call Center Clusters, confirmed that the sector registers new disabilities due to Covid-19, while other employees have been reintegrating after being healed.
“So far, the situation is manageable. There is no resistance to working for fear of Covid, although many prefer to work remotely if they can. Remember that we have a lot of relatively young employees who are less vulnerable, ”he said.
The vice president of the Association of Industries (AIRD), Circe Almánzar, stressed that absenteeism varies between companies and has been decreasing this week, but approximately the percentage of absences is around 20%.
In government
Several collaborators of public entities confirmed that absenteeism from work this week has been notable, above all, because it is noticeable in the flow of employees in the corridors and offices.
In the General Directorate of Customs (DGA), an employee said that there are many cases of Covid-19 and that, for example, in the department where she works there are four people out because they are positive for the virus of the seven who work in this office.
He added that there are complete divisions outside because all its employees are infected and that even in the entrance and corridors, the high rate of infections in the entity is evident. He indicated that Customs is also doing test days and that they are calling people who test positive.
In the San Rafael Building, the corridors are not observed the same as in conditions with fewer infections, as in past months. Here you can see absenteeism from work even in the parking lots of the building, where at least a few remain empty, a space that is always full.
A collaborator who works in a government entity that is based in that building comments that some employees tested positive for Covid last week and were already returning this Wednesday. In other government offices of a department that has between three and eight collaborators, only one employee is going because the rest have Covid.
In Industry, Commerce and Mipymes (MICM) there is a considerable number of infected people and according to a collaborator reported “many are going with symptoms without presenting a negative test”.
Some government collaborators who are negative despite sitting next to people who tested positive, attribute this to having the third dose of the vaccine and that they have given their colleagues who also have three doses, but slightly. When asked how they know that they have not been given, they confirm that also, as in Customs, the institutions where they work are doing test days.
In Internal Taxes (DGII) it was reported that in view of the increase in Covid-19 cases and in response to Resolution No. 000069 of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, the tax administration has taken measures to protect personnel and guarantee the services they offer.
Operative
Operations have been carried out for the application of tests and facilities for the application of the third dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 through the authorities of the Health Cabinet and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance.
In addition, the sanitary protocol is maintained for visitors and employees with processes of disinfection of areas, prevention supplies and remote work to decongest the units with the largest number of collaborators.
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