Thomas Hersche leads Sage Schweiz AG ad interim

Thomas Hersche is taking over the management of Sage Schweiz AG ad interim with immediate effect. The 50-year-old succeeds Tobias Ackermann. Thomas Hersche aims to further Sage's vision of becoming a leading SaaS company for customers, business partners and employees, according to a statement.

Thomas Hersche is the new Country Manager ad interim of the
Sage Switzerland AG. (Image: Sage Switzerland AG)

Thomas Hersche has held leading management positions at Sage since 2017. Since July 2018, he has been responsible for the direct sales business of Sage Schweiz AG as Director Sales and member of the Executive Board. Now, temporarily and with immediate effect, he is taking over the management of Sage Schweiz AG from Tobias Ackermann, who is leaving the company at his own request.

Sage pursues the vision of becoming a leading SaaS company for customers, business partners and employees. This vision and the associated strategic focus on innovation, customer and employee success will also be consistently pursued under the interim management, according to the company. A successor for the Sage Switzerland management team is currently being sought.

Sage Switzerland AG

Guarantees help bridge liquidity bottlenecks

The lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus fight is causing financial difficulties for many SMEs. The federal government has held out the prospect of help. One way to bridge liquidity bottlenecks already exists: guarantees.

Companies facing liquidity difficulties due to the lockdown can now access guarantees more easily. (Image: Pixabay.com)

On March 13, the Federal Council approved a special guarantee regime to support SMEs in liquidity difficulties. As of now, up to 580 million Swiss francs in guaranteed bank loans are available. There are four guarantee cooperatives in Switzerland, three of them regional and one national guarantee organization for women:

These cooperatives guarantee loans of up to CHF 1 million. The conditions for a guarantee have been eased, and the federal government intends to cover the business audit costs and the risk premiums of the companies for the first guarantee year for new guarantees until the end of 2020. This means that the federal government will reimburse the guarantee organizations for the application review fees, and SMEs will thus not incur any costs for submitting an application.

Applications for guarantees can be submitted by companies from all sectors except agriculture. However, the following points should be noted:

  • A guarantee requires a bank loan. Therefore, it is advisable to contact a financial institution first.
  • All loans granted must be repaid in the end
  • SMEs receive a guarantee decision as quickly as possible, usually within three weeks
  • No appeal may be lodged against decisions.

The applications are to be sent directly to the guarantee cooperatives or also via https://www.easygov.swiss or https://kmu-buergschaften.ch.

Two SMEs offer a joint delivery service under "standtogether.ch

Annanow and Taxi 444 are joining forces to launch a solidarity campaign and launch emergency aid with a delivery service: From now on, food, hygiene articles and medicines can be ordered in the Zurich area by calling 044 500 69 06. Within a few hours, the urgently needed items will be delivered to your home.

Daniel Gradenegger (Annanow, left) and Gerardo Viceconte (Taxi 444) offer a fast delivery service at standtogether.ch. (Image: zVg)

Another creative idea from SME (another example here), how the current corona crisis can also be used positively - to the benefit of those who currently have no opportunity to go outside: Annanow and Taxi 444 jointly offer a delivery service in the Zurich area under "standtogether.ch". Urgently needed goods for daily use or even medicines can be delivered to one's home with this service.

Prevent unnecessary infection risks

The safe transport of people to the hospital, to the family doctor and to pharmacies is thus guaranteed. The aim of "standtogether.ch" is to ensure the professional and rapid supply of essential goods and services to the population in times of crisis - complementing the army and civil defense. At the same time, the initiators of the emergency aid want to help farmers, grocers, retailers and other traders with delivery problems. "standtogether.ch" prevents people, especially the elderly population, from having to expose themselves to unnecessary risks of infection. The national rollout of the emergency aid begins this week.

Delivery service at cost

"We have to do absolutely everything we can to ensure that people get through this crisis as unscathed, healthy and fast as possible," says Daniel Gradenegger co-initiator of "standtogether.ch" and founder of Annanow. We have a crowd-based supply chain with over 100,000 cabs and couriers. Even private individuals - provided they are in good health - can register with Annanow and get involved in this crisis. "Our motivation is an active and national neighborhood assistance and solidarity with the people in Switzerland," emphasizes Gerardo Viceconte, co-initiator of "standtogether.ch" and CEO of Taxi 444. Of course, all services are provided at cost price.

The service is available at 044 500 69 06 and at www.standtogether.ch available.

Short-time work: Frequently asked questions and answers

Following the lockdown in Switzerland, many companies are faced with the question: short-time work or not? We have compiled some important questions and answers here.

Orphaned jobs in many companies: Short-time work is the temporary reduction or complete cessation of work in a company, while maintaining the contractual relationship under labor law. (Image: Pixabay.com)

The exceptional situation proclaimed by the Federal Council has an existential impact on many SMEs. The instrument of short-time work is provided for economically induced work stoppages - including those due to official measures.

What is the purpose of short-time work?

Short-time work is intended to prevent a company from having to continue to employ its employees rather than lay them off in the event of an economic emergency that is not the employer's own fault. Mass unemployment can thus be avoided in the medium term. Employees thus also retain social protection and gaps in contributions to the occupational pension scheme are avoided. Employers have the advantage that they can use short-time work to save on the costs of staff turnover and ensure the availability of their employees.

When may short-time work be applied for?

If a company has to introduce short-time work, the canton must be notified at least 10 days before the start of the short-time work. Due to current events, this deadline has now been shortened to 3 days. The canton then checks the legality of the request.

Who may apply for short-time work?

The application is made by the employer. Employees do not have to do anything themselves, but must usually sign a declaration of consent.

When is there no entitlement to short-time working compensation?

Short-time work does not include work stoppages that are not temporary. Also, work absences that are part of the normal operating risk or are necessary for operational reasons (such as interruptions to operations due to repair work, conversions, cleaning work or similar). Seasonal fluctuations in employment are also not eligible.

Temporary employees (who continue to receive full pay) or those in a terminated employment relationship are also not eligible. Owners, partners or other persons with a financial interest in the company are also not entitled to short-time working compensation.

Where do you have to report?

The relevant cantonal offices are the points of contact; as a rule, these are affiliated with the respective cantonal Directorate of Economic Affairs.

How much is the short-time compensation?

Compensation is based on the amount of the employer's reduced workload. Thus, if a 100 percent position is reduced to 50 percent, the short-time compensation amounts to 80 percent of the lost salary (Calculation example). The AHV/IV/ALV/EO contributions continue to be paid equally by the employer and the employee; the insured salary is decisive.

If you fall ill during short-time working: What salary does the daily sickness benefits insurance pay?

If an employee becomes ill during the reduced workload, the daily sickness benefits insurers have different regulations. In most cases, benefits are based on the reduced salary plus the lost compensation from unemployment insurance. Information on this can be found in the GCI of the daily sickness benefit insurer.

Further information is available here

Federal Council decides on stricter measures - SMEs to receive assistance

The Federal Council tightens the measures to protect the population and decides on drastic measures that hit the SME economy hard. All stores, restaurants, bars and entertainment and leisure establishments will be closed until April 19, 2020. Exceptions include grocery stores and health care facilities.

Tougher measures against the coronavirus are hitting the Swiss SME sector. The federal government is calling for solidarity. (Image: Pixabay.com)

Today, March 16, 2020, from midnight, public and private events are prohibited. All stores, markets, restaurants, bars and entertainment and leisure establishments such as museums, libraries, cinemas, concert halls and theaters, sports centers, swimming pools and ski resorts will be closed. Likewise, establishments where the distance cannot be kept, such as hairdressing salons or beauty salons, will be closed. Such tightened measures are now necessary to stop the further spread of the coronavirus.

Supply ensured

The supply of the entire population with food, medicines and goods for daily use is ensured, sufficient stocks have been built up, the Federal Council informs. Grocery stores, takeaways, company canteens, meal delivery services and pharmacies will remain open, as will gas stations, train stations, banks, post offices, hotels, public administration and social services. Workshops for means of transportation, may also remain open. All these establishments must comply with the recommendations of the Federal Office of Public Health on distance and hygiene. Hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices remain open, but must refrain from medical procedures and therapies that are not urgently indicated. People who are particularly at risk do their work at home. If this is not possible, they are given leave by their employer. They continue to receive their wages.

The Federal Council also calls on the population to avoid all unnecessary contact, to keep their distance and to follow hygiene measures. It also calls on the elderly population in particular to stay at home.

Support for SMEs in prospect

The Federal Council is holding out the prospect of unbureaucratic help for the hard-hit economy. For example, the deadlines for applying for short-time work compensation have been reduced. This means that companies will only have to pay for the loss of one day's work themselves. Bridging loans by means of guarantees have also been announced. This is intended to cushion companies' liquidity bottlenecks. Industry associations such as Swissmechanic welcome these measures.

Source: www.admin.ch

 

Corona virus: further business events are cancelled

The federal government has banned events with more than 1000 participants (since March 13: with more than 100 participants) because of the risk of infection by the Corona virus. This also affects some larger business events that should have taken place in the next few days.

First in China, now also in Switzerland: The Corona virus is forcing governments to take rigorous measures. (Image: Pixabay.com)

For the Autosalon, Baselworld, Giardina or also the nonwovens trade fair Index in Geneva, the Corona virus meant the end. Due to the risk of infection, the Federal Council banned major events with reference to the epidemic law. But even smaller events, which are no less prominent within the economic community, have to bow to the ban these days. The award ceremony of the Prix SVC Ostschweiz, planned for March 5, 2020, has been postponed indefinitely. The Swiss Venture Club as organizer will observe the development in these days and hopes to be able to make up for the award ceremony at a later date, according to reports. As soon as a final decision has been made, information will be provided again, the OC further announced.

The "special situation" proclaimed by the Federal Council also forces the Swiss Marketing Forum to take a special measure: The Executive Committee has decided to definitely cancel the Marketing Day on March 10, 2020 at the KKL. "Everything that makes up Marketing Day prohibits us from holding it: handshake, networking, Face 2 Face, the shared experience, moving together - not only in the concert hall," regrets the OC. But because about 1000 guests are expected for this event, the organizers could not decide otherwise. A postponement to the fall of 2020 is being considered at best. The tickets retain their validity and can be used for a possible postponement date.

Update March 6, 2020:

The federal order is expected to last until March 15, 2020. Depending on how the situation with the Corona virus develops, other occasions could be affected, such as the SME Swiss Forum at the Trafo Baden on March 19. According to information from KMU Swiss, the permit for this event has been issued by the canton of Aargau. However, the organizer must comply with the condition that visitors who have previously been in crisis regions such as northern Italy or China may not be admitted, as well as people who show symptoms of illness on the day of the event. Should the situation change by then, the participants will be informed accordingly.

Update March 13, 2020:

  • The Board of Directors of the Swiss Trade Association sgv has decided, taking into account the current situation regarding Covid-19, to postpone the Gewerbekongress 2020 scheduled for April 29, 2020. The new date is October 27, 2020 at the Forum Fribourg.
  • The HR Festival on March 31 / April 1 will be postponed to a date yet to be determined. Also cancelled or postponed is the presentation of the Swiss HR Award. This event will take place - also on a date not yet known - as a separate event. This is announced by the organizers.
  • As the FOPH has decided to ban events with more than 100 participants, the KMU SWISS Forum 2020 (see above) on Thursday, March 19, 2020, is now also cancelled. The organizer is about to postpone the forum, with the same program as this year, to next year on Thursday, March 18, 2021. The focus is now on the detailed planning of the KMU SWISS panel on September 3, 2020.

 

Coronavirus: labor law issues

The coronavirus is keeping the economy on tenterhooks. Some companies are currently facing various questions, including legal ones. We have compiled a few important points from the field of labor law here.

Dealing with the Corona crisis is drawing numerous labor law questions. (Image: Pixabay.com)

According to the Swiss Code of Obligations, employers have a right to issue instructions to their employees, but also a duty of care. This must be observed all the more in connection with the Corona crisis.

Finding reasonable measures for employees

Based on the duty of care (OR 328 para. 2), the employer must take reasonable measures to protect the health of employees. This also includes self-quarantine if an employee has returned from a risk area. Based on the right to issue instructions (OR 321d), the employer may order teleworking or home office. In this case, the employees must follow such instructions. It is also possible to order that overtime or overtime must be compensated or vacations (OR 359c) must be taken, whereby in the case of compulsory holidays the interests of the employee(s) must be taken into account by the employer. In these cases, the full salary is owed (OR 324 para. 1). In the case of compensation for overtime and extra hours, the employee's consent is required. In principle, the working hours apply in accordance with the law. In principle, the employer can also order a vacation ban, as it can determine the time of the vacation. The employee must be heard and his or her wishes must be taken into account. However, the postponement of already agreed vacations is only justified for serious reasons. Any compulsion to take unpaid leave is null and void. Company vacations are also conceivable, although these must be announced at an early stage (at least 14 days) in advance.

Labor law issues relating to continued payment of wages

If an employee falls ill, the company is obliged to continue paying wages (OR 324 para. 1). If the company has daily sickness benefits insurance (KTG), this takes effect after expiry of the contractually agreed waiting period (usually 30, 60 or 90 days). If no daily sickness benefits insurance is available, the duration of the continued payment of wages is based on the existing scales (Berne, Basel, Zurich scale). If the employer waives the employee's right to work, the agreed salary must continue to be paid. An ordered self-quarantine cannot be settled via the daily sickness benefits insurance, as there is no case of illness. The same is the case if the competent authority should order a quarantine measure against an employee in accordance with Art. 35 Para. 1 lit. a EpiG (Epidemics Act). If the employee wishes to be absent from work of his or her own accord, there is no entitlement to a salary for the period of absence.

Also in the following cases the salary is due (during limited time, OR 324a):

  • The employee falls ill during the vacations and is therefore unable to travel.
  • The employee falls ill with coronavirus during the vacations and is therefore unable to travel.
  • The operation has to be stopped due to delivery bottlenecks of the supplier.
  • The employee cares for a child suffering from coronavirus at home (Art. 36 ArG).
  • The employer sends the employee home or closes the company as a precaution.
  • The employer refuses to take protective measures and apply hygiene rules.
  • Schools and kindergartens are closed by the authorities. The employee must take care of the children (ZGB 276).
  • The company is closed by order of the authorities. However, the employee may be obliged to make up the "missed" working hours on the basis of his fiduciary duty.

Wages are not owed in the following cases:

  • The employee cannot return from vacation because the authority responsible at the place of vacation does not allow the employee to leave or closes the border (force majeure).
  • The employee is a fearful person and refuses to work out of caution because he or she might be infected (refusal to work).
  • The employee cannot come to work because public transport is reduced or discontinued (take other means of transport). However, if the work can be done from home (telework), the salary is due.
  • The employee does not send his or her child to the daycare center out of fear, but looks after it at home and therefore has to stay away from work.
  • The (entire) residence of the employee is quarantined.

Short-time work

SECO has instructed the cantons to examine applications for short-time work with regard to Covid-19. If the competent authority orders the closure of the company or prohibits access to certain buildings or areas, it must be examined whether short-time work compensation can be claimed. Short-time work must also be examined by those companies that cannot order teleworking due to their business activities. It should also be noted that in the case of flextime, appropriate regulations must be in place, as well as the existence of a time recording system.

Further, the following cases are to be examined:

  • employees cannot keep to their working hours because transport restrictions make access to the place of work difficult;
  • necessary raw materials/operating supplies are not available due to import/export ban;
  • Supply difficulties of raw materials and supplies;
  • Interaction of various factors, due to the pandemic, leading to a cessation of operations;
  • Reduction in working hours by official order;

Short-time work compensation cannot be claimed if employees have to care for their children at home due to circumstances (e.g. closed daycare centers).

The information given here is based on a leaflet published by the Swiss Trade Association sgv. For further information on labor law issues, pandemic plans, health protection, etc., we refer you to the SECO, BAG and other federal agencies.

The Corona Epidemic: A "Black Swan"?

The Corona epidemic and its consequences hit companies like a bolt from the blue. This is the impression often given in public discussions. However, Corona primarily exposes weaknesses in risk management not only of individual companies but of entire industries, writes guest author Georg Kraus.

A black swan is the term used to describe a highly rare and unlikely event that has extreme consequences for those directly and indirectly affected. So is the Corona crisis such a "black swan"? (Image: Pixabay.com)

"This is a real black swan" - i.e., an event that cannot be predicted or can only be predicted with difficulty, which has far-reaching, mostly negative consequences for all persons and organizations directly and indirectly affected and at least calls into question the paradigms of their previous thinking and actions or, as in the case of many companies, even makes their previous strategies obsolete. Such statements are often heard in connection with the Corona virus epidemic.

Black swans become more common

One thing is striking: The "black swans" seem to have become more frequent in the last two decades. In connection with Corona, reference is sometimes made to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean triggered by a seaquake in 2004 and the nuclear reactor accident in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. Far more often, however, because of Corona's global impact, reference is made to the 2008 financial crisis triggered by the Lehman bankruptcy, which in turn partly caused the euro crisis that followed shortly thereafter. And sometimes the "diesel affair" triggered by the "cheating" of some car manufacturers is also mentioned, which was a black swan at least for many automotive industry suppliers, rendering their previous, usually successful, action or corporate strategies invalid.

Strong parallels with the 2008 financial crisis

But can the Corona epidemic be compared, for example, with the tsunami in the Indian Ocean or the "diesel affair"? Only to a limited extent, because the tsunami - despite the more than 200,000 people killed - was primarily a regional event. And the effects of the "diesel affair" remain largely limited to the automotive industry.

The corona crisis can best be compared to the 2008 financial crisis, which drastically demonstrated the fragility of the international financial system: The Corona epidemic or pandemic makes clear to us how vulnerable our global economic system is with its barely untangling tangle of mutual dependencies and interdependencies.

Even a black swan has causes

The term "Black Swan" originates from the 2001 book by publicist, financial mathematician and investment banker Nassim Nicholas Taleb, "Fooled By Randomness," which deals with the history of finance. In 2007, he also published a book entitled "The Black Swan," which deals with unpredictable and momentous events beyond the financial market.

According to Taleb, black swans are highly rare and unlikely events,

  • that have extreme consequences for those directly and indirectly affected,
  • for which, however, one usually finds plausible and understandable explanations in retrospect.

He also includes such rather fortuitous events as the discovery of penicillin, which revolutionized health care, and the discovery of America in the search for a new sea route to India.

Black swans show blind spots

As Taleb wrote, explanations can be found for most Black Swans in retrospect. That is, they are not as unpredictable as they are often portrayed, at least at the time of their occurrence - also as an excuse for why, for example, a company went into such a severe tailspin because of the event that occurred.

But in the case of all the aforementioned Black Swans in recent times, there were well-known and renowned experts who warned of corresponding events or developments in advance - this also applies to the Black Swan "climate change", which is currently being pushed to the fringes of public awareness again in the wake of the Corona epidemic. This means that many "black swans" were or are predictable. Therefore, they rather abruptly make blind spots in collective thinking and collective perception visible.

Black swans make strategy breaks visible

Black swans also highlight inconsistencies in the action strategies of societies and companies. For example, when the social discourse in the area of energy and food supply debates regionality or production close to the consumer, but completely forgets about the supply of medicines, which is currently leading to supply bottlenecks in the wake of the Corona epidemic.

The situation is similar in industry. Here, many companies implemented "just-in-time" concepts in their production over the past decades, for example, but without sufficiently taking into account that when the required parts are delivered from China, which moreover originate from a supplier's workshops, the risk increases that they will not be delivered "just-in-time" - which in turn paralyzes production.

This means that many of the so-called black swans could have been avoided in retrospect, or that professional risk management would have enabled better precautions to be taken in the event of an emergency or need.

Making the strategy "crisis-proof" - as far as possible

Such inconsistencies - due, among other things, to collective blind spots caused, for example, by membership of an industry - often exist in the strategies of companies. These can lead to existential crises in the medium and long term. For this reason, companies should use the current Corona crisis, provided they are not fighting for survival, as an opportunity to check beyond their day-to-day business with external expert support: To what extent do such "breaks" exist in our strategic considerations and decisions? Only then can the necessary precautionary measures be taken to prevent existing risks from becoming black swans which, in extreme cases, endanger the existence of the company.

To the author:
Dr. Georg Kraus is managing partner of the management consultancy Dr. Kraus & Partner, Bruchsal (www.kraus-und-partner.de). Among others, he is a lecturer at the University of Karlsruhe, the IAE in Aix-en-provence, the St.Gallen Business School and the Technical University of Clausthal.

Supply bottlenecks for imported goods - companies rely on non-Asian suppliers

Supply bottlenecks for goods from China are already affecting Swiss trade and individual customers such as the construction industry. The import of cameras, construction machinery or floor plates is delayed. There is also a lack of spare parts for construction machinery, which can slow down repairs. So far, however, Swiss trade has been able to compensate for most of the bottlenecks by switching to other suppliers.

Kaspar Engeli of Handel Schweiz: Supply bottlenecks affect individual sectors - Swiss retailers are constantly reacting to changing conditions. (Image: Handel Schweiz)

In view of the coronavirus crisis, Swiss trade is running at full speed. From products for the daily needs of the population to goods for the business activities of a wide variety of companies - all of this must be available as smoothly as possible and on time. This is also true in view of disrupted supply chains, as can be observed at the moment, especially from China and Italy.

Supply bottlenecks for spare parts

Problems are caused by the temporary closures of plants in China, declining freight capacities and delayed shipments. So far, this has led to supply bottlenecks in the areas of electronics, raw materials for plastics production or rare earths. Today, individual devices such as cameras, cell phones and PC components are already affected by delivery delays. For many products, such as vinyl flooring, China is now the main or sole producer. A lack of spare parts and components for machinery is also leading to delivery problems with repercussions for the wider economy. For example, work on construction sites is delayed because new construction machinery has not been delivered.

"Home office in retail not a solution"

For Kaspar Engeli (pictured), Director of Handel Schweiz, the umbrella organization for the retail industry, the functioning retail industry is primarily thanks to the 680,000 employees in Swiss retail. "They are reliably on hand, react flexibly to conditions that change daily or even hourly, and are the backbone of goods availability in Switzerland. After all, home office is not a nationwide solution in Swiss retail. The presence in the stores, the management of the warehouses in the stationary as well as in the online retail, the logistics in the delivery - everywhere the employees of the retail companies are challenged. In addition, employees in the stores are in contact with a great many people and have to protect themselves from the virus infection on an ongoing basis." As far as supply bottlenecks in wholesale are concerned, the director of Handel Schweiz says: "Here, it's proven that some companies rely on other producers in other countries in addition to suppliers from Asia."

Source: Trade Switzerland

Home office because of COVID-19: Don't forget cyber security!

More and more companies are sending their employees to the home office - a fact that cybercriminals are also trying to exploit. For this reason, both employers and employees in the home office should pay special attention to a few points regarding cyber security.

So that there is no matte screen in the home office: IT security is also an important aspect when working from home. (Image: Pixabay.com)

The fact that more and more employees have to work from home is also attracting cybercriminals: IT security specialist Check Point says that domains linked to the term "coronavirus" carry a 50 percent higher risk of being malicious - just like the virus itself... This means that companies must quickly provide their employees with the right training and resources so that they can do their work away from the office, especially as hackers are quick to try to exploit carelessness, which is more likely to happen at home.

So the question becomes: what should employers and employees look for to ensure that working from a home office is just as safe as working in the company's own offices? Here are a few tips:

What employees should pay attention to in the home office

  • Be on the lookout for phishing: Be careful when clicking on links that look suspicious in any way and download content only from reliable sources that can be verified. Remember that well-disguised phishing emails can make you a target for social engineering. So, if you receive an email with an unusual request, check the sender's details carefully to make sure you are communicating with colleagues and not criminals. So keep a critical eye on anything that pops up unexpectedly in your mailbox.
  • Choose your device carefully: Many employees use their company computer or laptop for personal use, which can pose a security risk. The risk is even greater if you use your personal computer for work purposes. So if you must use a personal device for work, talk to your IT team about how you can strengthen security - for example, with a strong antivirus and security package.
  • Beware of letting others listen in: Does your home office Wi-Fi network have a strong password or is it open? Make sure it's protected from anyone within range who can access and connect to the network. The same goes for working in a coffee shop or hotel - be careful when connecting to public wireless networks. Unsecured networks make it easier for cybercriminals to access email and passwords.

Important points for employers

  • Do not trust anyone: Your entire remote access plan must be built on the principle of "zero trust". That means everything must be verified and nothing must be assumed. Make sure you understand who has access to what information - segment your users and make sure you have them working with multi-factor authentication. Also, now is the ideal time to retrain your teams so they understand why security is so important when they can access information remotely.
  • Pay attention to each endpoint: Typically, you have people working at desks in the office. Assuming that your devices are not taken home, you now have a number of unknown devices that need access to your corporate data. You need to think ahead about how to deal with the threats posed by data leaks and attacks that spread from these private devices into your network. And you need to ensure that the devices as a whole have adequate security measures in place.
  • Test your infrastructure under stress: To integrate secure remote access tools into your workflows, a VPN or SDP is critical. This infrastructure must be robust and should be stress tested to ensure it can handle a large volume of data when your employees are working from home.
  • Define your data: Take the time to identify, specify and tag your sensitive data. Based on that, prepare policies that ensure only the appropriate people can access it. Don't make assumptions about past data management and take a granular approach that suits you best once remote access is fully enabled. After all, no one wants to inadvertently give the entire organization access to, say, HR.
  • Segment your workforce: Conduct an audit of your current policies regarding access and sharing of different types of data. Re-evaluate both company policy and your segmentation of teams within your organization to ensure you have different levels of access that correlate with different levels of data sensitivity.

Source and further information: Check Point

Corona crisis: Event agency goes new ways

When the core business simply collapses overnight, livelihoods are at stake. This is what is happening to a number of companies in the event industry. The ban on events caused by the Corona virus is hitting them hard. But not all of them are burying their heads in the sand and finding creative alternative solutions.

The Corona crisis is forcing event service agencies to explore new avenues: A Basel-based company is now offering its staff for alternative jobs. (Image: Petra Sarke / rmp eventservice GmbH)

Everywhere, as a result of the Corona crisis. Events canceled. This hits the event industry to the core. But necessity is the mother of invention. This is also what those responsible for the event agency rmp eventservice GmbH from Riehen thought and now rent out their strong hands to private individuals or companies. "We received the bad news of the event ban in the middle of a large concert set-up. So we didn't have the time to make long faces, I had to act. In a short time, the idea was born to offer our helping hands where they are urgently needed. Whether it's gardening, clearing out the basement, helping with shopping, running errands, household chores, setting up furniture or for a move," explains Managing Director Petra Sarke of rmp eventservice.

Tackling and talking out of the sewing box

"Our roadies, stagehands, booth builders, auxiliary technicians and catering assistants are ready to lend a hand wherever helping hands are needed. In addition, we can tell a story or two about stars and starlets," says Sarke. When do you ever have the opportunity to be supported by helping hands on the one hand and then to hear exclusive stories at first hand? This is only possible if one makes a virtue out of necessity and adapts to the current economic situation. Not entirely seriously, this is nevertheless a small added value for the customer, says the Managing Director.

Corona crisis goes to the existence

For Petra Sarke, it's not just a marketing idea. "We're fighting for our existence but we're not letting it get us down. "How long the Corona virus will still have us in its grip, I don't even want to estimate. Therefore it concerns to be able to use the free capacities meaningfully and to a local hourly rate or daily lump sum - book them our hand " As the rmp eventservice GmbH assures, the coworkers can be used in the whole Switzerland.

Source and further information: rmp eventservice GmbH

Coronavirus: coworking as a recipe against greater spread

The coronavirus is spreading epidemically, and there is currently no end in sight. On the one hand, this unsettles employees; on the other hand, employers have a duty. The coronavirus also poses a business risk. Corporates consider office splitting and coworking as part of business continuity management to be an effective means of combating the rapid spread.

Office splitting can help you defy the corona virus. (Image: Pixabay.com)

Enforcing protective measures is a huge challenge for companies. Everyone finds it hard to resist habits like shaking hands. And what if, despite all the protective measures, several people in a department are flu-ridden at the same time or catch the corona virus and are put out of action for a while? This is a horror scenario for any company, because it disrupts work processes and supply chains and seriously jeopardizes productivity and the ability to maintain business operations. Which also puts jobs at risk.

Office splitting: a remedy for the spread of coronavirus

No employer wants to run the risk of entire departments coming to a standstill. Since cross-collaboration is a challenge for teams when working from home over a longer period of time, companies have to look for solutions. For example, according to Credit Suisse's NZZ employees in business-critical functions are split into different offices. Step by step, office splitting is to be extended to other departments.

Coworking: 20 % more requests due to coronavirus.

Social distancing can be implemented in the office through office splitting. This way, if one employee is infected, all other team members are not immediately at risk - and business operations are maintained. Companies split teams by having half of the employees work in non-owned office space to minimize the risk of contagion. Since not all companies have appropriate physical structures to split departments, coworking providers are currently in high demand. According to Roger Krieg, CEO of Switzerland's largest coworking provider OfficeLAB, demand for coworking space has already increased by 20 % in recent days.

High Security Rooms

With companies under extreme pressure, Krieg says flexibility and agility are needed across all locations. Krieg continues, "Companies want to split their premises immediately - overnight." One is even able to set up individual security rooms - a so-called war room - in a very short time, he says.

Author:
Roman Probst is a communications and sales professional with BA in Corporate Communications and Journalism and CAS in Digital Marketing. Experienced in company building and development up to sales. Multiple awards in marketing communication and as an entrepreneur.
www.marketing-probst.ch

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