As an infection reaches the population at large and becomes more commonplace, employees may come into contact with the causative agent and will need to take extra measures to care for themselves and others. Employees might opt to take sick and unpaid leave because of possible exposure. Employers need to understand the situation and take measures to be able to continue operations under these circumstances. Having flexible working arrangements that accommodate both workers and management alleviates stress and provides team members with options. Employees get work done and, most importantly, still keep their jobs. Some of the ways businesses implement flexible working arrangements are by personalizing hours of work, locations of work, and patterns of work. For example, by implementing a flexible working arrangement for work site location, employees remain productive while working remotely. Telecommuting lowers the risk of an infection spreading among team members while leveraging technology to maintain productivity.

During the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak in China, companies had to shut down. People were held under quarantine, and others were forced to stay home. Now is the time for employers to start reconsidering remote work. For an employee to work remotely, the company must have already established an SOP to access work-related software, documents, and platforms safely. The viral outbreak has pushed companies to look for alternatives to enable remote work in a collaborative manner. For example, in the past week Welink, a cloud service supplier affiliated with Huawei, had an increase of 50% in new enterprise users.

During an epidemic, employers should apply commonsense and take into account employee motivation and safety as well as public responsibility when judging whether business travel is necessary. Most companies will reduce or postpone non- essential travel and face-to-face meetings. In the course of an epidemic, business travel not only puts the employee at risk of infection but also implies numerous travel costs for the business. The organization needs to consider the coverage of employee health insurance, possible travel restrictions, and the overall wellbeing of the employee. Most importantly, organizations that don’t reconsider business travel during public health emergencies may be accountable for the further spread of an infection.

Paul Holcroft, an associate director at HR consultancy Croner, told Personnel Today that employers' duty of care for their staff could extend to canceling any trips to somewhere that poses a health risk. "Employers who had intended to send any staff to affected areas may want to consider postponing the trip or assessing whether any meetings could be done via electronic means."

Businesses that planned conferences and seminars, unfortunately, will have to postpone them. The downside of workshops, seminars, and conferences is that they require the displacement of employees, and companies should avoid the risk of exposing their employees to infection. Companies need to consider hosting webinars and online seminars, as these can be easily set up and have a broader reach.

During an outbreak, companies participating in exhibitions and trade shows should expect fewer visitors. Ericsson, the telecommunications technology provider, in a statement to BusinessToday regarding their participation in Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2020 said that "following the outbreak and continued spread of the novel coronavirus, Ericsson has closely monitored developments and adhered to recommendations from relevant national authorities and international bodies, such as the WHO. After extensive internal risk assessment, Ericsson has decided to take further precautionary measures by withdrawing from MWC Barcelona 2020, the largest event in the telecom industry."

With the rise of miscommunication, also known as fake news, employers need to inform employees with credible and verified sources relating to the viral infection. Information gathered should only be from reliable and verified sources that have established credibility. Employers may opt for sharing information through email or BenQ X-Sign broadcast of Interactive Flat Panel. The latter are more engaging and can seamlessly communicate the latest news and company etiquette and regulations during the outbreak. Organizations can effortlessly create and distribute content to their employees in a matter of seconds and ease the flow of reliable information.

Platforms that allow teams to collaborate and communicate effectively can be used during work-from-home days. Meetings can be done over real time collaborative platforms. Companies with a collaboration-focused culture are less prone to experiencing an interruption in their day to day operations even during viral outbreaks.

To enable collaboration, employers can invest in technologies for their traditional spaces. First and foremost, collaboration is all about improved communication between employees, making sure they feel included and able to deliver ideas easily.

The main impact of video conferencing for a business is that it reduces costs and can improve collaboration. Firstly, a sophisticated video conferencing system will enhance company video usage and overall collaboration as opposed to a simpler telepresence solution. Additionally, video conferencing can save millions in foregone travel expenses for large companies that expand across a country or even the globe. Most importantly, content is saved to the cloud in real time and is instantly available for viewing or editing from a companion app on employees' devices and PCs. Tools like digital whiteboards seamlessly connect the collaborative productivity of huddle rooms with the independent work done at any given team member’s desk.

Digital Displays help businesses improve meetings and collaborations by showcasing pertinent information during presentations, including documents, images, and videos. BenQ has a variety of digital display solutions such as Interactive Flat Panel and Smart Signage. All of which have been created for ease of use, increased efficiency, and greater participation at office environments.

During an epidemic of worldwide proportions e.g. the current Coronavirus outbreak, companies that already invested in collaborative technology have an advantage and are more likely to run their operations smoothly. Employers should take this opportunity to re-examine their workplace technology and consider investing in more advanced collaborative platforms and tools.