One of the largest tech companies in Japan, Hitachi, will continue teleworking for a while. (Image via Medium)

Major Japanese tech firms still urge teleworking

As the Japanese government lifted the state of emergency on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many businesses are expected to return to their normal routines. However, many major tech companies in Japan stated otherwise on Tuesday. They are still urging their employees to work from home, or teleworking.

One of the Japanese tech giants, Hitachi Ltd., stated that on average, 70 percent of its employees have been teleworking to cut the risk of COVID-19 infection. Since the announcement of the state of national emergency in early April, Hitachi still persists in fear of a second wave of infection occurs. Until the end of June, Hitachi’s employees are working from home, except for those responsible for infrastructure inspections. Hitachi aims for 50 percent teleworking average as the pandemic subsides.

Following Hitachi’s stead, NEC Corp also stated that it would force its employees to telework in order to prevent further outbreak. If an employee has to come to the office, NEC said that he/she needs to comply with the anti-infection measures.

On the other hand, Sony Corp. stated that it would gradually ease its teleworking requirement. Since late March, Sony had been telling its employees to work from home. In exchange, Sony will implement new strategies, such as social distancing at its offices. For the first half of June, Sony will try to keep the number of commuters at 20 percent and raise it to 30 percent by the third week of June.

Source: https://bit.ly/2LZ8B4j