“It’s their life,” Koopman says of the work his people do. “You get up and go with the bus. This day rhythm is now completely broken.”
Koopman estimates that about a third of his employees are now at home due to the corona crisis. “They have no more distractions. And we have a category of people who are going to grind. We have to be careful that people do not end up in depression. That is why we call a lot to help. We also ask people to keep a diary.”
Half of employees at home
People are also forced to be ‘unemployed’ at other social work facilities, such as the Diamant Group from Tilburg. “Two-thirds of the more than 350 people who work with us are at home,” says Theo van de Bruggen, manager at the recycling company La Poubelle in Tilburg.
He explains that there are three reasons for this: “People are sick themselves or have a family member who is sick. We have many people who are at risk because they already have heart disease, lung disease or diabetes. We also have people who are mentally find it difficult to deal with. It doesn’t help if they walk around here stressed. But this is only a small group. ”
‘Work is a fixed pattern’
The Diamant Group is still able to maintain its work well, but this is a challenge. “We have a green business and nature does not listen to corona,” says director Robert Bool. “So that work continues as usual. But many people have also been seconded to the culture sector and a lot has been closed there.”
According to Bool, many employees are afraid that the work will drop out. “People ask: we will not close, will I? Because then I don’t know what to do. The work situation is a very fixed pattern in their lives.”
Vital processes
Employees of the social employment service often work in vital processes, such as the post, care and cleaning. For example, Ergon employees in the Eindhoven region wash the clothes of residents of healthcare institutions. It also includes contaminated wax. “It is very important work, for which there is a separate strict procedure,” says general director Yvonne van Mierlo. “We are also getting face masks for this from the safety region.”
Ergon employees are also responsible for municipal cemeteries. Unfortunately, the work there has increased due to the corona crisis. “In addition to an increase in the number of funerals, Muslim people are now buried here, rather than in their home country. Our employees dig the graves and take care of all activities around the cemeteries.”
‘People like to work’
More than 500 employees work at Ergon at home. “We call that every day. Our duty of care to these people is shifted from the workplace to home. It is very difficult, because our people want to work so much. We do everything we can to keep employees at home vital and healthy. . “
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