3E Accounting Pte Ltd appreciates the Straits Times (Singapore’s most popular and widely read newspaper) for recognising their efforts to protect pregnant staff and employees from the Zika virus.
Declared as a global health emergency by WHO (the World Health Organisation), the Zika outbreak has become a big concern for everyone worldwide. Concerned employers across the globe, including Singapore, are taking several measures to protect their staff (pregnant employees in particular) from the Zika virus.
The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness transmitted by infected Aedes albopictus or Aedes aegypti mosquitos. The Zika outbreak has become a serious concern, typically because so far, there is no medicine or vaccine available to treat or prevent Zika. From 2007 to 2016, Zika cases have been reported in more than 62 countries, affecting millions of people worldwide.
According to the doctors, the Zika infection has the potential to pass from a pregnant female to her fetus, causing birth defects and even neurological problems in babies. In fact, microcephaly is one of the most severe fetal brain damages in unborn babies. Infected pregnant women or people, in general, often experience symptoms like red eyes, rashes, muscle pain, headaches, low grade fever, and pain in the joints. However, babies developing inside the womb can experience microcephaly.
Infants with this problem are born with below average head size with the head circumference of less than 31.5 to 32cm. It shows that the brain has not developed normally. This can often be deadly because an underdeveloped brain fails to regulate and perform the functions that are vital to survive. However, children that do manage to survive have been found to face development delays and intellectual disabilities.
The Straits Time newspaper recently published an article on how Singaporean employers are going out of the way to protect their pregnant employees from Zika. The newspaper highlighted the employee protection efforts of 3E Accounting Pte Ltd during the Zika outbreak, one of the leading Singaporean accounting firms that has also earned the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment (TAFEP) Exemplary Employer Award for its progressive, responsible and fair employment practices.
The newspaper confirmed that 3E Accounting Pte Ltd has given its pregnant women employees the flexibility to work from home so that they don’t have to travel to & from work and expose themselves to the risk of getting infected. The Aedes specie of mosquitoes is recognised as aggressive daytime biters, increasing the risk of the Zika virus among those who travel to work during the day.
Furthermore, Lawrence Chai, the managing director and owner of 3E Accounting Pte Ltd, has also bought $1,500 worth of mosquito repellents from Kuala Lumpur and installed them in his Singapore branch for his team of 26 employees to ensure they are well-protected from the risk of Zika.
Lawrence Chai also appreciated the Straits Times newspaper for acknowledging the company’s efforts to protect its pregnant employees and other valued staff members from the Zika outbreak. He had this to say, “We, at 3E Accounting Pte Ltd, would like to thank the Straits Times, the country’s most popular and widely read newspaper, for mentioning our company in their article and recognising our efforts for employee protection during the Zika outbreak.”
He further said, “We are honoured and take pride in the fact that not only do our employees appreciate what we are doing for them, but the digital media acknowledges our efforts as well. It’s a big achievement for us. We would like to say here that we feel that our employees (both males and females) are the most valued asset of our company and we’ll continue to do to whatever we can to provide a safe environment to and flexible policies for our employees both in Singapore and Malaysia.”
About The Straits Times
The Straits Times, the English flagship daily of SPH, has been serving readers for more than a century. Its comprehensive coverage of world news, East Asian news, Southeast Asian news, home news, sports news, financial news and lifestyle updates makes The Straits Times the most-read newspaper in Singapore.
3E Accounting would like to thank The Straits Times for appreciating their efforts during the Zika outbreak and all staff and clients for their tremendous support.
