Responding to COVID-19

Your author shares a tribute to those who have passed away due to COVID-19-related complications and outlines steps taken by the company for the safety of employees and more.

For the past 15 months, we have been facing an unprecedented crisis due to the pandemic, which has impacted lives and livelihoods. More impactful and tragic is the devastation to families; many of those near and dear to us, such as customers, colleagues, industry veterans and others, have lost their lives. It is very difficult to accept that they are no longer with us. While we cherish their memories in our hearts, we also offer prayers for them and their grieving families.

At Otis, we’re in the life-safety business, a responsibility that every member of the Otis family takes to heart. When the pandemic hit, our local leadership team formed an emergency COVID-19 task force. The aim of the task force has been to understand the issues on the ground and work with our customers, colleagues and other stakeholders to help navigate these challenges.

Before the lockdown was announced, our field teams were asked to follow all the safety-related precautionary measures proposed by the government – and they still are. Most of our office staff are continuing to work remotely and will return to their offices in accordance with the country’s lockdown regulations.

We also established precautionary measures to protect our field professionals, including providing the appropriate personal protective equipment, masks and hand sanitizers. Some of our field professionals were reassigned to service units closer to their homes to reduce travel while still providing essential services. 

The mental and emotional wellness of our colleagues is another area on which Otis India has focused since the beginning of the pandemic. We introduced an Employee Assistance Program that offers virtual courses focused on managing stress and maintaining positivity. We have set up a well-being program to help improve and sustain the quality of our colleagues and their families’ lives. 

In the current situation, this program aims to help employees find normalcy despite disruptions to their daily lives. This includes elements like coping with remote work or isolation, lack of external stimuli, the ability to stay motivated and being able to stay emotionally connected while social distancing — all of which are arising out of remote working arrangements or working in isolation. 

We have even expanded our offerings to include the families of our field professionals. Called “My Safety – Family Safety,” this program shows families all the safety procedures that their loved ones take while working on a jobsite. Over the last year, this program has been adapted for a virtual connect and includes additional COVID-19 safety measures that the team has adopted in the field. 

Additionally, some of the other relief measures we are making available are vaccination support, financial support, special COVID-19 leaves, insurance policies that cover COVID treatment, kits for home quarantine, oxygen concentrators, etc. 

Elevators are the lifeline of any building, and our services are essential in keeping people safe on a daily basis. Throughout the pandemic, our local branches stood ready to meet customer needs to the extent permitted by the government and health advisories. Many of our frontline service technicians have been on duty since the beginning of the crisis, responding to customer and passenger needs and keeping equipment moving safely at hospitals, metros and other crucial facilities.

We worked with local officials in collaboration with the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA). In working with that group, our maintenance service was officially included as a necessary service needed to keep first-responders moving during the lockdown. 

Being in business for nearly 170 years, we have endured many of the world’s greatest challenges. Even during the most difficult times, we have always remembered who we are serving. We are determined to support our colleagues, customers and passengers as we weather this storm.