Companies that wash their own workwear or leave this to their employees are currently facing uncertainties in their laundry supply. Expert knowledge regarding the correct washing technique and procedures is required. CWS Hygiene Manager Debbie Hartung has compiled helpful hints on washing workwear during the current situation for companies.

7 recommendations for washing work clothes

1. Wearing of professional clothing: Each employee in the team should always wear only his or her own professional clothing. This is generally recommended. But especially at this point in time, jackets should not be lent to colleagues or similar.
2. Wear clothes during working hours: Professional clothing should be worn only while performing work. Clothing should not be worn after hours and should be kept separate from personal clothing.
3. Wash separately: Professional clothing should not be washed together with private laundry. Ideally, they should not be washed in the same washing machine. Currently, no transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to objects is known - but this is an important precautionary measure that should also be observed as a rule.
4. Temperature as high as possible: Professional clothing should be washed at the highest possible temperature that your clothing allows. Ideally at 60 degrees, because at these temperatures, in combination with a heavy-duty detergent, the coronaviruses are inactivated, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
5. Wash work clothes with full detergent: Work clothes should be washed with full detergent. The composition of the ingredients works most effectively in combating viruses.
6. Conduct in suspected cases:
   a) Washing at 60 degrees with a heavy-duty detergent: According to the Robert Koch Institute, clothing belonging to an employee infected with COVID-19 should be washed at a minimum of 60 degrees with a heavy-duty detergent and then dried thoroughly. After loading the machine, hands should be thoroughly washed and dried.
   b) Store clothing separately for one week: If reprocessing is only possible at a lower temperature, it is recommended to store the clothing separately in a bag for at least one week and then wash it as usual. Since coronaviruses are not very stable in the environment, they have an infectivity of a few hours to a few days on dry surfaces, according to the German Federal Risk Assessment.
7. Textile service providers inform: Companies that already use a textile service provider must urgently observe its instructions for handling potentially contaminated laundry. In case of suspected cases in the company, please inform CWS in advance by telephone. The service driver will then pick up the linen in separate containers and the vehicles will be disinfected afterwards.

Source: CWS-boco Suisse SA

The coronavirus crisis is changing the perception of several systemically important professions. Cleaning staff are among them. As a recent Forsa survey from Germany shows, 26% of the population consider building cleaning to be more relevant today than before the pandemic, and 96% feel that the work of cleaners is very important or important. The study was conducted on behalf of the Bundesinnungsverband des Gebäudereiniger-Handwerks, which represents an industry with 700,000 employees. There are around 85,000 cleaners working in Switzerland, around half of whom are now affected by short-time working, according to estimates by PK Reinigung.

Health protection must be written in capital letters

Erich Stutzer, President of the Joint Commission of the Cleaning Industry (PK Reinigung) in German-speaking Switzerland and member of the board of directors of a 950-strong cleaning company, confirms the pressure on the industry: "The ongoing situation surrounding the coronavirus means immense challenges - both personal and economic. Oure highest asset - the employees - must be protected." Even without the coronavirus, managing processes in cleaning companies with several hundred or thousand employees is very demanding. But now "everything has changed," says Erich Stutzer. "Our CEO and his team are mastering the impossible."

Also emotionally demanding

The effects of the lockdown on companies and cleaners are also being experienced by Claudia Hablützel, attorney-at-law and managing director of PK Reinigung. She and her team of lawyers have answered over 1,500 inquiries from companies and employees since March 16, 2020. This represents a doubling compared to before the crisis. "We have mainly made phone calls and answered emails in recent weeks," explains the lawyer. Since customers such as retailers, restaurants, hairdressers, schools and event organizers have been directly affected by the Federal Council's decision, as well as numerous companies have switched to home offices, cleaning companies have had to react flexibly to the changing order situation. Many have registered for short-time work. This increases the pressure on the cleaners, who are worried about their jobs and wages on the one hand, and about their health protection on the other. PK Reinigung also advises them in these emotionally demanding times. Claudia Hablützel: "People are unsettled and seek help from us. Some cleaners want to know how short-time work will affect them personally. Some belong to the risk group and want information about their health protection. Others live in the same household with people in the risk group and wonder if they should continue working."

Ensuring hygiene and health protection Implementation of the exit strategy

In contrast to usual, very many self-employed cleaners also turned to the experts at PK Reinigung in recent weeks. Since the Federal Council has now also presented a financial solution for the self-employed, a decrease in corresponding inquiries is expected. The managing director of PK Reinigung also expects that the Federal Council's three-stage exit strategy presented on April 16, 2020, will reduce short-time work for cleaners in the coming weeks. She says: "The relaxation of the measures requires a high degree of hygiene. This is where the work of cleaners is needed." With further developments around the resumption of work in various industries, new and other important questions are now arising that affect cleaning companies and their employees. Claudia Hablützel and her team are preparing for the next onslaught of phone calls and emails.

Source and further information: PK Cleaning, www.reineprofis.ch

The Corona crisis is leading to a turnaround in the annual advertising market trend. While in "normal" years the curve of advertising pressure regularly points upwards from March onwards, this year is different: The gap to the previous year amounts to minus 90 million Swiss francs or -16.4 percent in the month of March. This means that the first quarter of 2020 is 114 million behind the previous year's figure. This corresponds to a decline of -8.2 percent, according to the latest figures from Media Focus.

Media groups affected to varying degrees

In percentage terms, cinema advertising fell the most in March (-77%), followed by radio advertising (-49%). Print advertising declined by around 20 percent, with the daily, weekly + Sunday and trade press being hit hardest. The general, financial and business press, on the other hand, remained at the previous year's level. Internet (-17%) and TV advertising also recorded noticeable losses (-15%). Only out-of-home advertising print remained at the prior-year level overall in March (-0.7%).

With the proclamation of the "extraordinary situation" in Switzerland on March 16, 2020, calendar week 12 shows the biggest slump in advertising print across all media groups. However, differences between the individual media can be observed: while cinema advertising dropped to zero after the closure from week 12 onwards, as expected, the decline in the other media groups was already less pronounced the following week. After the initial shock, it is clear that a disruption, which the current exceptional situation undeniably represents for the advertising industry, creates obvious winners and losers. The cleaning industry experienced the biggest boost in March with a 33.2 percent increase, followed by tobacco advertising with a 24.2 percent increase. Cleaning and smoking: So that's what Mr. and Mrs. Swiss are most likely to indulge in during the lockdown....

FOPH campaign strong - the car industry lacks the car showroom

Due to the FOPH's Corona campaign, the "product" with the highest advertising pressure in March 2020, the "Initiatives and Campaigns" sector experiences a significant increase in advertising pressure (+5.7%) and the financial sector also closes slightly up (+1.9%). Looking at the year-to-date performance, however, this should be interpreted as a standstill. The industry started January and February with a good 20 percent more advertising pressure than in 2019.

However, the fact that campaigns were stopped at short notice from calendar week 12 can so far only be observed with a few advertisers. One example of this is the automotive industry: this sector has had to contend with the highest absolute year-on-year decline, not least due to the absence of the Motor Show. For example, the campaign for the VW Golf 8, which was still on the silver podium of the TOP 10 products in March, has largely disappeared from the communication channels. The advertising offensive in TV, OOH and cinema was short-lived and came to an abrupt end in week 12. Only online advertising continues as usual. Whether this was planned can at least be raised as a question.

However, the sector that loses the most ranks in March compared with the year to date is Leisure, Catering, Tourism. Clearly in first place in January and February, this sector drops to 10th place. Advertising pressure has fallen steadily by a third since January. Year-on-year, the decline comes in at -12.7%. March 2020 is around 40% below the previous year's figure.

Advertising market trend in outlook

If you don't advertise, you die: But this bon mot also applies during the crisis. Because the current situation offers those who communicate agilely good short-, medium- and long-term positioning opportunities. For example, by adapting the advertised product range (bicycles: +41%), highlighting services such as the online store (SportXX, from 23.3.2020), or building up an image (partnership rules of conduct: Coop/Migros/Denner). And a simple logic should not be forgotten either: if the competition reduces its activities, then its own "advertising voice" in the market gains more weight while the advertising pressure remains the same (SOV%). And attention is guaranteed: because the time and attention that the Swiss population devotes to the media in times of home office and quarantine cannot be at fault at the moment...

Source: Media Focus GmbH

The corona crisis poses major challenges for SMEs: Is my company allowed to declare short-time work? How do I motivate my team when it is uncertain whether and how things will continue? Will our services still be in demand at all in the time that follows?

KMU Impuls: Free of charge for small businesses in Central Switzerland

To alleviate the economic consequences of the crisis, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is launching the "KMU Impuls" support program. The free offer is primarily aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises as well as public and non-profit organizations in Central Switzerland. It will start on Monday, April 20, 2020.

For Rector Markus Hodel, it is clear that the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, as an educational and research institution in Central Switzerland with a strong practical orientation, must provide support quickly and without complications. He says: "The current situation is threatening the existence of many companies and organizations. Thanks to the expertise of our lecturers, many of whom come from the business world themselves, SMEs are now receiving impetus to mitigate the crisis in the best possible way."

Short online sessions on relevant topics

At the heart of KMU Impuls are short online seminars, so-called online impulses. The individual sessions are led by experts in the relevant field. They cover topics such as: Dealing with financial and legal challenges, customer communication in the crisis, new opportunities in leadership, assessments of industry-specific and macroeconomic consequences of the crisis.

Interested parties can register for the online impulses at the following link (for technical reasons, the number of places is limited to 250 participants): hslu.ch/kmu-impulse. Depending on requirements, "1:1 impulses", i.e. individual coaching sessions, can be booked as a follow-up to each online impulse. Here, the lecturers address company-specific problems that were not covered during the online sessions. In order to support the companies in the best possible way, consulting needs and focus are identified by means of a short online form.

On April 9, 2020, a Open lettersigned by Kummli Netzwerk GmbH, the umbrella of a network of entrepreneurs operating throughout German-speaking Switzerland, to the Federal Council as a whole. In it, statements of various SME entrepreneurs were quoted and the specific demand was addressed to the national government to restart the economy as early as April 20.

Road map with gaps

Since April 16, we can now ask ourselves: Has the Federal Council met the demands of the business community, especially those of SMEs? The answer must be no: The positive thing is certainly that there is now a road map with a clear definition of time stages. The requirement that workers be able to return to their jobs step by step in compliance with the necessary precautionary measures and hygiene regulations has been met in principle. However, there is already a problem with the lifting of store closures: while DIY stores, garden centers, flower stores and hairdressers' salons are allowed to reopen, many other specialist stores, fashion boutiques, furniture stores and the like must remain closed. This is causing incomprehension among industry associations. Kaspar Engeli of Handel Schweiz: "700,000 people work in retail. This makes retail the largest private employer in Switzerland. If all stores are open, wholesale trade also functions more easily. The opening of trade is now happening far too hesitantly!" The Swiss Trade Association is also sharply critical: "Unacceptable" is this decision and a "massive discrimination" of the SME trade, it says in a media release of the sgv. Especially since many retailers would be well prepared for a "Smart Restart", as we have seen in the past. already reported here have. It seems that the Federal Council did not hear all the voices - or did not want to hear them. The sgv is therefore also unequivocally calling on the Federal Council to return to the decision it has now taken. In fact, the Federal Council's decision could accelerate the decline of stationary trade. It is to be hoped that the much-cited solidarity in society will now go so far as to support local businesses with customer loyalty.

Non-decision for gastronomy

For the catering industry, on the other hand, April 16 was a "day of no decision": the GastroSuisse industry association is accordingly very disappointed and does not understand why the Federal Council has not yet given the catering industry a perspective after which many other commercial enterprises can now go back to normal. "We have always stressed that it is up to the Federal Council to determine when to reopen," notes GastroSuisse President Casimir Platzer. "However, with the non-communication, the Federal Council leaves us completely in the dark and without perspective," he criticizes the Federal Council's communication. Indeed, it is certainly not easy to ensure that hygiene and distance rules continue to apply in restaurants or bars. "Who wants to drink a beer with two meters distance with other people?" said Federal Councilor Alain Berset in an interview with SRF's Tagesschau. But here, too, the restaurant scene certainly has suggestions at the ready as to how a - at least partial - return to normal operations would be possible: "Our proposal, which we have submitted to the Federal Council, for example, is that we limit the number of guests per square meter," says Casimir Platzer. "In addition, there needs to be a minimum distance between tables and a requirement to wear protective masks at least behind the scenes. In service, masks should only be worn if the distance rules cannot be observed. Alternatively, you can serve at the counter or at a side table."

The economy must also remain healthy

The Federal Council's road map focuses on people's health. In principle, this should not be changed. After all, a national government also has a "duty of care" toward its citizens, just as an employer has toward its employees. However, it must be remembered that a healthy economy is also needed so that people become less ill. It must therefore not be the case that a prolonged lockdown fuels a deep economic crisis with all its possible health and social consequences: Depression, burnouts and other mental illnesses triggered by existential fears, an increased suicide rate, more social cases, social tensions. In the long run, the costs of these consequences will probably be more expensive than a few thousand Covid 19 cases.

Nevertheless, the conclusion to be drawn is this: The Federal Council is staying true to its line, acting prudently from an overall perspective and not attempting any "hair-splitting" exercises. Nevertheless, it cannot please everyone. In particular, the decision regarding the retail trade does not seem logical. However, all sectors should now make equal use of the stages that have now been defined in order to continue to prepare optimally for the post-Corona phase. This is coming, even if not everyone can currently agree with the path that the Federal Council has taken to get there.

The corona crisis is causing great uncertainty among private individuals and companies alike. For this reason, the ZHAW has decided to make its know-how available to the public. On the one hand, the School of Management and Law advises SMEs that need to take communication measures quickly in order to survive, but cannot afford large agencies. The advice is free of charge and is also available to (nonprofit) organizations with smaller budgets. Secondly, the IAP Institute for Applied Psychology offers consultations by phone or video with a Care Team. This offer is also free of charge and is open to all people who are exposed to personal and family tensions due to the current situation. This counseling service is also intended to fill a gap that has arisen because many psychotherapeutic services are currently only available to a limited extent.

Fast communicative help for companies

The corona crisis is hitting the Swiss economy hard. Many small and medium-sized companies have been forced either to discontinue their services altogether or to switch to short-time working or reduce their workforce due to the changed order situation. The long-term consequences for the economy, but also for the companies, are currently difficult to assess. Many SMEs are confronted with previously unknown communication and marketing challenges. The Institute of Marketing Management at the ZHAW School of Management and Law offers concrete support with the "Marketing Communication Clinic". The support is aimed at companies that cannot afford an agency or consultancy and are dependent on an independent expert opinion. Consultation through the Marketing Communication Clinic takes place online and is free of charge.

Psychological help and counseling in the time of crisis

The situation surrounding the coronavirus and the measures ordered by the federal government lead to a changed daily structure for children, young people and adults. Not only are social contacts restricted, but insecurities and fears increase, worries about the job and loss of income increase. All this can lead to personal and family tensions. To make matters worse, the availability of many psychotherapeutic services is limited. For this reason, psychologists at the IAP Institute for Applied Psychology offer free consultations by phone or video. In addition, the IAP has produced an information sheet to help people in the current tense situation to help themselves.

New offerings from the ZHAW such as Advice from health professionals from the Department of Health. are displayed on the Website continuously supplemented.

To reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Swiss government has ordered the guideline value of one person per 10 square meters of sales area. In practice, the affected companies try to help themselves with control services through their own doormen, ticket distribution systems or mobile barriers. The result is usually unsatisfactory and costly. An innovative traffic light system called CountMe from Richnerstutz is now designed to implement the prescribed access controls effortlessly and cost-effectively and to measure customer flows. In a first phase, this will primarily help the retail trade; in a second step, it can also be used in all public facilities, such as restaurants and museums, but also in train stations, airports and border controls, the manufacturing company informs.

Sensor counts customers automatically

CountMe translates as "count me," looks like a welcome column and resembles a traffic light in the colors red and green. The column is located at the entrance and exit of the supermarket and uses a sensor to register customers entering the store. If the defined number of people in the store is reached, it lights up red. If this is not yet the case, the customers have a green light to enter the store area. Set-up is easy; installation and programming takes just a few minutes via an app. In addition to the CountMe columns, Richnerstutz also produces the matching floor stickers as well as the spit shields required for the checkouts.

Innovative, flexible, creative

The background to how this solution came about is remarkable: "The idea appeared in a dream to our Head of Innovation, Serafino Melloni. We immediately discussed it intensively, developed and programmed it together. Since we have the necessary know-how, technology and material within the company, we tested the prototype after just one week. This normally takes much longer and is impossible for many companies, not only at the moment", explains André Richner, Co-CEO of Richnerstutz AG and emphasizes: "We are also affected by COVID-19 and have announced short-time work for our staff. We are all the more pleased to make our contribution to coping better and to support our customers wherever possible. Richnerstutz does not stand for creativity, innovation and flexibility for nothing."

First retailers at home and abroad measure customer flows

The first CountMe columns have been in use for a week in some Migros cooperatives and are delivering valuable work, according to reports. Although CountMe was initially viewed skeptically, incoming customers recognize, understand and respect the importance of access control.

The benefits of CountMe are obvious: the solution is precise, efficient and saves costs. Swiss retailers have already recognized this. In the meantime, Richnerstutz has also received inquiries from Europe and even overseas. And that's not all: Richnerstutz is already working on the rollout of the next sensor generation. With this new high-precision sensor, the measurement accuracy is to be further expanded. Then it will be possible to realize not only behavioral patterns, but also optimization potential for store operators. CountMe can thus be used more sustainably, effectively and for longer periods - even after the days of Corona, writes the manufacturer.

Source: Richnerstutz

A wise person once told me that change doesn't succeed when you try to change too many things at once. And my own life has taught me that it's helpful to focus your pursuit of change on just one thing, that is, to have a clear, tangible goal in mind. When I read in the Harvard Business Review that we need to 46.9 percent of our working time spend letting our minds wander from the task at hand, I was shocked! Another article on the topic revealed that the average knowledge worker is 50 - 60 times a day is interrupted during his work - is torn out of his focus. It quickly becomes obvious: Our ability to concentrate is in crisis!

More focus - No to (unnecessary) meetings!

Productive meetings can help you move faster and focus on what's important. My personal mantra is to only attend meetings that make sense. To achieve that, I question every meeting - whether in person, by phone or video conference - that is put on my calendar. I ask myself if I really need to be there. I force myself and ask the other participants to clearly communicate the purpose, agenda and possible outcomes in advance. If my presence is not essential, I don't go to that meeting. If my input is still needed, I offer my perspective on the content and my feedback via collaboration tools that allow me to work on a specific project exactly when I have decided to put my focus on it.

To speed up decision-making in meetings, skillfully rubber-stamp your proposals by asking the right questions, soliciting feedback on who disagrees with your proposal rather than asking everyone for their specific agreement. The psychology behind this is simple: critics are forced to step out of their comfort zone and give a valid reason for their disagreement.

At the end of each meeting, everyone should have a clear idea of activities, priorities, and roles. Ask the question, "Who will do what by when?". This helps drive decisions and increase focus. But, of course, you also need a transparent system that lists your team's tasks and allows you to track their status.

You can also measure how wisely your time is being spent through the simple ROTI (Return On Time Invested) feedback method taken from the Agile Coaching environment. This approach provides a quick and easy way to evaluate meetings. Have each participant grade the meeting from 1 to 5 - 1 means very helpful, while 5 means a total waste of time. Through simple math, you will quickly find out if your meetings have enough value.

Last but not least, try to change the flow, change the background, use a different format. How about a walking meeting with headphones instead of having every conversation at your desk. Move around to recharge your batteries and release new ideas. Even the Science has recently spoken out in favor of mobile meetings - there is strong evidence that the combination of walking and fresh air significantly increases their ability to think and focus.

Overcome procrastination and prioritize challenges

Getting things done creates more space in your mind and positively impacts your focus. We all know how hard it can be to stick to key priorities, especially when work piles up. Even when we know exactly what we should be doing next, we avoid it and turn to the easiest or most enjoyable job that's waiting for us otherwise. Unsurprisingly, students often report that their digs have never been neater or cleaner than during exam time. But avoiding important tasks and distracting ourselves with others drains us of valuable energy and focus.

To combat this, I try to overcome procrastination whenever it tries to distract me from focused and meaningful work. Over time, I've realized that it's all a matter of habit and that only I have sovereignty over my actions. It's like taking a cold shower in the morning or finally slipping back into your running shoes. Challenge yourself! Put excuses aside and do the most important thing that scares you the most, in the morning, as the very first action of the day. The positive energy released will help you move through the rest of the day with ease.

Free up time - the rest will come by itself!

Having time and the right frame of mind is essential to think strategically and solve problems pragmatically. I always weigh urgent and important, balancing the two. If you spend too much of your time on urgent issues, then your priorities are misplaced. Take more time for self-reflection and for creative thinking - block out a few hours in your schedule, three times a week.

Ask yourself, "Is there anyone else who could - or should - do this?" To all those of us who are perfectionists and think we have to do everything ourselves: Learn to delegate tasks! Especially in leadership roles, but also as an individual on a team. It's absolutely okay to ask for someone's help, and once you learn to entrust jobs to others, it will help you find enough time and focus to get the things done that are the highest priority.

Technology should be there for you - not the other way around!

It's all about enabling yourself and the team to work with maximum focus. Sometimes it feels like our lives are consumed by a 24-hour workday. We are always available and work knows no downtime. Our concentration is punctured by constant messages, dozens of open windows, and the constant juggling between tools. But you need to realize this: you can't be on task 24/7, and you can only focus for a limited amount of time each day. So what can you do?

Using the appropriate technologies - ones that work best for me - helps me do my job more effectively. I advise everyone to take the time to ask: "What tools are easiest to use and promote seamless communication between teams?" Our tools for work should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I believe that Artificial Intelligence and machine learning will increasingly help us to sort of plow through the digital distraction and surface the work that matters most. I believe in a more enlightened, smarter way of working, where machines and people are brought together in a smart workplace in a way that "work about work" will soon be a thing of the past and that we will regain the ability to focus!

Author:

Andrea Trapp is Head of Business for Northern and Central Europe (DACH, UK and Ireland as well as the Nordics and the Baltic States) at Dropbox and leads her teams from Munich. The economics graduate and change management expert has spent 17 years - at times abroad - in pan-European management or board positions at international tech and PropTech companies. Until February 2019, she was Area Vice President Sales Europe at U.S. software and hardware manufacturer Oracle, where she began her career back in the 1990s in Dublin. In the meantime, from 2014 to 2016, she headed SaaS provider Textura Europe GmbH as Managing Director and was Area Director Europe at solution provider for the construction and real estate industry conject AG from 2012 to 2014. Her focus has always been on construction and manufacturing and on optimizing transformation processes. She sees herself as a coach and mentor for her teams. In her private life, Andrea enjoys jogging and hiking, loves to cook and is passionate about traveling the world. More about Andrea Trapp on her LinkedIn profile.

The two Zurich designers Fredy Espejo and Emanuel Gürth have set their design agency on a digital course from the very beginning by covering the technological implementation expertise for digital brand presences in-house. This marks a difference from traditional CI agencies, the majority of which have outsourced this area, if at all. In the course of a gentle rebranding, the two partners were also concerned with bringing the agency's digital self-image more sharply to the outside world and providing the "proof of concept" with their own web presence. "Brand work today is primarily digital," says Emanuel Gürth. It is about understanding the representation of the company in the digital space as the most important business driver. Pretty design alone has not been enough for a long time, Gürth continues.

Designers and developers at one table

The new site of the Zurich design agency, which counts renowned SMEs such as Pilatus or Bexio as well as large companies such as Migros, SRF or Tamedia among its clients, focuses on the user experience. With the help of XHR requests (also known as AJAX), the visitor experiences extraordinary page transitions in the elaborately produced portfolio area. Discreet micro-interactions, sophisticated animations and large-scale videos lend liveliness and character to the reduced design concept. Nevertheless, it is the clearly structured reduction to the essentials and not formal showmanship that characterizes the appearance. Web solutions of this complexity only emerge in a close exchange between designer and developer already in the conception phase, says Fredy Espejo. "Our developer Vince Hehlen has done a great job here. He managed to make all our ideas run across the screen as easily and fluidly as if it were the most normal thing in the world."

Code in a lot of handwork

Technically, it is a single page web application powered by WordPress. The entire HTML render engine is implemented in the frontend using JavaScript. All templates are in-memory and are rendered on demand in the web browser at lightning speed and without additional requests. The dedicated high-performance server only delivers the data in the form of minimally kept transfer objects in JSON format. A REST interface serves as the interface. The backend uses the full support of the performance-optimized PHP version 7.4. The potential of the WordPress Advanced Custom Fields (AFC) was also maximized. 3rd party code and the use of libraries were largely avoided, everything is hand-coded.

In-house development in data compression

Particular importance is attached to the low-loss compression of heavy video files. Here, an FFMPEG library with a sophisticated, specially developed parameter set is used, which delivers moving images in the smallest data volumes in the highest possible, artifact-suppressing quality. For the screencasts, a frame rate of 60 FPS ensures a smooth presentation. To compress the images, Vince Hehlen even wrote a macOS program in SWIFT that uses optimized versions of the mozJPEG and webP compressors.

Click here for the new website: www.januar.ch

The two Zurich designers Fredy Espejo and Emanuel Gürth have set their design agency on a digital course from the very beginning by covering the technological implementation expertise for digital brand presences in-house. This marks a difference from traditional CI agencies, the majority of which have outsourced this area, if at all. In the course of a gentle rebranding, the two partners were also concerned with bringing the agency's digital self-image more sharply to the outside world and providing the "proof of concept" with their own web presence. "Brand work today is primarily digital," says Emanuel Gürth. It is about understanding the representation of the company in the digital space as the most important business driver. Pretty design alone has not been enough for a long time, Gürth continues.

Designers and developers at one table

The new site of the Zurich design agency, which counts renowned SMEs such as Pilatus or Bexio as well as large companies such as Migros, SRF or Tamedia among its clients, focuses on the user experience. With the help of XHR requests (also known as AJAX), the visitor experiences extraordinary page transitions in the elaborately produced portfolio area. Discreet micro-interactions, sophisticated animations and large-scale videos lend liveliness and character to the reduced design concept. Nevertheless, it is the clearly structured reduction to the essentials and not formal showmanship that characterizes the appearance. Web solutions of this complexity only emerge in a close exchange between designer and developer already in the conception phase, says Fredy Espejo. "Our developer Vince Hehlen has done a great job here. He managed to make all our ideas run across the screen as easily and fluidly as if it were the most normal thing in the world."

Code in a lot of handwork

Technically, it is a single page web application powered by WordPress. The entire HTML render engine is implemented in the frontend using JavaScript. All templates are in-memory and are rendered on demand in the web browser at lightning speed and without additional requests. The dedicated high-performance server only delivers the data in the form of minimally kept transfer objects in JSON format. A REST interface serves as the interface. The backend uses the full support of the performance-optimized PHP version 7.4. The potential of the WordPress Advanced Custom Fields (AFC) was also maximized. 3rd party code and the use of libraries were largely avoided, everything is hand-coded.

In-house development in data compression

Particular importance is attached to the low-loss compression of heavy video files. Here, an FFMPEG library with a sophisticated, specially developed parameter set is used, which delivers moving images in the smallest data volumes in the highest possible, artifact-suppressing quality. For the screencasts, a frame rate of 60 FPS ensures a smooth presentation. To compress the images, Vince Hehlen even wrote a macOS program in SWIFT that uses optimized versions of the mozJPEG and webP compressors.

Click here for the new website: www.januar.ch

Companies have a duty of care and concern towards their employees. At the same time, they are dependent on information about the health of their employees, especially in the current climate. This can lead to problems with regard to data protection, because health information is particularly worthy of protection. In the following, we highlight the rights and obligations of employers and employees in dealing with the Corona virus. Brigitte Münch, Legal Counsel & Member of the Executive Board of LEANmade, explains what information is and is not allowed in terms of data protection in Corona times.

Data protection in Corona times: Rights and obligations for employers

1. Do I have to report a possible infection of an employee to the authorities? No. Only physicians, hospitals and other public or private healthcare institutions and laboratories must report infected patients to the authorities. There is no reporting requirement for other employers. Reporting a suspected case or case of illness to health authorities could even constitute disclosure of health data without a legal basis and could be punished.
2. Do I need to inform the company's employees about an infected employee in the company? Only with the consent of the person concerned. The employer has a duty of care towards its employees. The staff should therefore always be informed of a suspected or confirmed case of infection. However, naming the person concerned is only permissible if he or she has expressly consented. Access to the information must be restricted to the necessary circle of colleagues. The information must also not have any consequences for the employment relationship. In any case, an employee must be comprehensively informed about the intended disclosure and further processing. We strongly recommend obtaining documented consent for this purpose. Of course, the processes for processing cases of illness within your company should comply with the requirements of data protection and thus be followed.
3. Do I need to identify and inform contacts of an infected employee? No. If you have alerted employees in your company to the possibility that a colleague may have contracted the virus, you have fulfilled your duty as an employer to the employees. A company is not required to collect further data to determine who has come into contact with whom.
4. Am I allowed to ask employees about a (possible) infection? Only if the company is subject to a special legal obligation, such as in the health sector or the catering industry. The question about the health of employees is basically a private matter. If you do ask, employees are not obligated to answer the question correctly.
5. Do I have to inform business partners about a (possible) infection within my company? No, the data protection regulations do not oblige you to do so. The legal obligation to provide such information exists only for physicians, hospitals and comparable medical professions. However, if there is a risk of contagion, an obligation to provide information may arise from the general duties of care between contractual partners. If a company informs its business partners of a suspected case, it should note that the name of the possibly infected person must not be mentioned and that the same principles apply as when informing its own employees.

Rights and obligations for employees

1. Do I have to inform my employer about a (possible) infection with the coronavirus and/or answer his questions about a (possible) infection? In principle, no. Exception: If the employee or employer is subject to a legal obligation. This is the case, for example, with doctors and hospital staff or in the hospitality and catering industry. If an employee is asked, they must be informed of their specific duty to provide information. However, in this specific situation of the spread of the coronavirus, employees from other sectors who are not subject to a specific duty to inform should also inform their employer about a (possible) infection in order to protect colleagues and customers.
2. Do I need to tell my employer that I have been in a high-risk area for the past few weeks? No. Each employee is free to disclose this information to his or her direct supervisor and/or the Human Resources Department in the interest of colleagues, suppliers and customers. The disclosure of the information by the employee must not have any negative consequences for the employment relationship.
3. Where do I have to report a (possible) infection? Information about a possible infection should follow the usual procedures in case of illness, i.e. if the employee decides to inform about his/her health condition, he/she should inform the direct supervisors and/or the responsible HR representative. The information that the employee discloses to his or her employer is health data, which is particularly protected by law. This also means that any further information to other colleagues outside the direct reporting line and the HR department requires his explicit consent.

Source and further information: Brigitte Münch, LEANMade AG

The Swiss Trade Association sgv is calling for a "Smart Restart" for the period after April 19. In line with the epidemiological situation, prohibitions and regulations on the lockdown are to be relaxed. In particular, the sgv demands that industries with increased customer contact can themselves demonstrate suitable measures that enable them to comply with the health protection of customers and employees.

What works in grocery stores also works in sporting goods stores

Individual sectors are now demonstrating with their own concepts how the "Smart Restart" could work in practice. Bottom up, more and more sectors are making proposals to the Federal Council. The sporting goods trade, the car trade and hairdressers are the first to do so. The sporting goods trade, for example, wants to rely on controlled access, visual guidance systems and digitization. It will be stipulated that only a minimum number of customers per sales area may be in the store. Customers are encouraged to pay without cash wherever possible. In addition, contact zones are to be regularly disinfected.

"Smart Restart" for car dealers

The car trade, in turn, wants to expand web- and telephone-based services. Vehicle handling will only take place during the sales talk and after the car has been disinfected. If possible, operating instructions are to be provided by video demonstration, and the need for personnel during the sales process is to be kept to a minimum. Measures are taken at the point of sale to ensure social distancing.

Hairdressers: Particularly many protective measures needed

Hairdressers have a tougher time of it: their "Smart Restart" concept calls for minimizing encounters, increased disinfection, and the wearing of masks for both employees and customers. For all services, employees must wear protective gloves and prefer to talk to customers via mirrors. Customers are advised to cancel appointments if they show even the slightest symptoms of a cold.

From practice for practice

What these concepts have in common: They come from practice and are intended for practice. However, they still need to be refined. And no industry will implement these concepts without the Federal Council making the corresponding decisions. The sgv is all the more insistent that a balance be struck between health protection and the interests of the economy and society for the phase after April 19, 2020. The "Smart Restart" is an opportunity for Switzerland to take a first step back towards normalization. In this way, the economic and human dangers of the extraordinary situation could be reduced.

Sources and further information: Swiss Trade Association sgv, ASMAS, AGVS, coiffuresuisse