Concepcion pushes for more workers on-site, says heavy traffic can't be avoided

Former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion on Friday pushed for allowing more employees to work on-site instead of their homes as this would help stir the economy.

"Kung lahat tayo nasa bahay, tignan natin 'yung nangyari sa pandemya, lahat nakakulong sa bahay, bumagsak 'yung ekonomiya natin. Halos walang mobility," Concepcion told Dobol B TV in an interview

(If all of us are at home, like during the pandemic, the economy will suffer. There is almost no mobility.)

Aside from helping the local economy recover, more workers working on-site could also help foster teamwork, he said.

"Kung parati tayong nasa Zoom, parati tayong isolated, 'yung teamwork sa opisina natin nawawala. Importante yan, 'yung regular dialogue face-to-face," he said.

(If we are always on Zoom, always isolated, teamwork in the office will be affected. Face-to-face dialogue is important.)

For BPOs and call centers, Concepcion said they are proposing a 70:30 hybrid work model, meaning 70% on-site and 30% work from home.

Still, Concepcion said depending on the industry, business owners should be allowed to decide on the kind of work setup they would implement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sa ibang sector tulad ng manufacturing at iba [pa], bigyan natin 'yung mga may-ari ng mga negosyo, sila ang dapat magde-desisyon [kung ilan ang papasok onsite], they should be the one to decide on that," Concepcion said.

(In sectors like manufacturing and others, let's let business owners decide on the number of employees onsite. They should be the ones to decide on that.)

Heavy traffic

As for the traffic situation that is expected to worsen when more and more employees are physically reporting for work, Concepcion said it is the price to pay in areas that are "doing well" commercially.

"We can't avoid that (traffic). Sa mga lugar na talagang [in some areas that are] doing well, you really see traffic. That means there is commercial activity, there is movement. That is a sign of the economy moving also. Of course medyo inconvenient sa iba [it's inconvenient for some]," he said.

He also said later in the interview that traffic "is a signal that there are people going out, working, spending, eating, dining, shopping."

"So traffic to me is good news. When there is no traffic in the street parang lockdown tayo [it seems like we're on lockdown," he added.

Citing his experience, Concepcion said government efforts like the EDSA bus lane have helped mitigate the traffic problem.

"Itong bus lane na ginawa ng government, malaking success 'yan, sa tingin ko, sa nakikita ko [In my opinion from what I've seen, this bus lane by the government is a big success]," he said. —KBK, GMA News