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Jen Reyes, a 27-year-old call-center agent in Makati
knows the hazards of the business all too well. For months now, she
has been suffering lower back pains and her routine of sitting and
answering calls 10 hours each day are making things even worse.
Fortunately, local call centers
are now adopting measures to improve working conditions for their
employees and avoid such hassles.
Newly launched APAC Philippines,
for one, decided to invest more for the well being of its employees
by contracting comfortable seats from world-renowned furniture maker
Herman Miller for its new facility at the 1 Cyberpark, Araneta
Center in Cubao, Quezon City.
Jim D. Griffin, APAC Philippines
vice-president and country manager believes that providing comfort
and luxury to employees will redound to higher productivity and
performance for the company in general.
Herman Miller, a Fortune 500
furniture firm operating in more than 40 countries, furnished the
Cubao office with its functional yet luxurious pieces that addressed
the company’s needs.
Stylish Celle (pronounced sell-a)
chairs were used to give call-center agents the much-needed comfort
as they work between eight to 10 hours in a stationary position.
Ergonomical “Resolve” chairs were meantime used as panel
systems. Private office furniture “Esplanade” and Aeron chairs
were purchased for the command center.
“We wanted to create an
environment where people feel connected to each other in work groups
while still maintaining a sense of private space with a minimum of
distractions,” he said.
Herman Miller’s Asia-Pacific
President Steve Cox who attended APAC’s recent inauguration
meantime highlighted its part in making call-center offices a more
hospitable work place.
“We are proud to be given the
chance to be a part of APAC through our furniture which are designed
to be stylish yet comfortable and functional. We hope that through
our products, we are able to contribute to the success of APAC here
in the Philippines,” Cox added.
Before its partnership with APAC,
Herman Miller has also served the furniture needs of various
multinational companies, which have set up operations in the
Philippines. The company has been in the country for 10 years now.
And while Griffin admitted that
choosing high-value seating furnitures for its employees resulted in
higher costs, he notes that the end results are all worth it.
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