Conquering Crisis with these 6 Innovative Employee-Friendly moves During Covid-19

Shadowfax Prioritised Safety and Employee Well-Being During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we work. Employees had to balance work, family, and health concerns. At the same time, organizations faced uncertainty, cost pressures, and new safety rules.

At Shadowfax, we quickly adapted to these changes. We redesigned our policies, safety measures, and employee programs. Our focus stayed clear: protect our people and support their well-being.

Putting Safety First

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, we introduced strict safety rules, including:

• Mandatory face masks
• Social distancing at all locations
• Work-from-home and stay-at-home guidelines

We also focused on emotional and mental well-being. Our HR team led this effort by creating a people-first, hybrid work culture.

Technology-Enabled Remote Work

Technology played a key role during this time. Teams worked remotely and completed most tasks online.

Tanushree Ray, HR Head, Shadowfax, shared:

“This was a true test of how fast we could adapt. We reviewed old ways of working and introduced new ideas. We kept employees engaged, reduced work-from-home stress, and onboarded new hires virtually without losing quality.”

How We Kept Employees Motivated

1. Encouraging Teamwork and Collaboration

We used modern tools to keep teams connected:

• Slack and chatbots for quick communication
• Daily virtual team meetings
• Leadership stand-up calls to share updates and decisions
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional support

Teams also shared updates with stakeholders through regular emails to solve challenges together.

2. Creating the Right Work Environment

To support working from home, we provided:

• Workstation furniture
• Internet dongles for uninterrupted connectivity

For employees returning to the office, we ensured safety through:

• Regular sanitisation of desks and meeting rooms
• Mandatory masks and sanitisers
• Weekend deep-cleaning
• Temperature checks and oximeter usage
• Weekly or bi-weekly COVID testing

3. Health Is Wealth

Employee health remained our top priority.

We partnered with Columbia Asia, a trusted hospital chain, to offer:

• PAN-India registration
• 10% discount on OPD services
• Special health check-up packages

To support mental well-being, we strengthened our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offering:

• Professional counselling
• Emotional support during difficult times
• Recognition of employee efforts

4. Recognition and Rewards

Clear communication and recognition helped keep morale high.

We introduced:

• Chatbots and surveys to stay connected
• OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to track goals and performance

Daily virtual meetings helped recognize individual efforts. Other initiatives included:

• Shazam Awards for performance
• Friday Sundowners for virtual team bonding
• Virtual onboarding of 200 employees
• Online celebrations like Triumph Day

‍‍5. Play Together, Stay Together

Even while working remotely, we made time for fun and bonding.

Our initiatives included:

• Virtual celebrations for our 5th anniversary
• Retro-themed annual function with over 500 employees
• Performances by artists, speakers, and in-house talent
• Music jam sessions
• Sundowner discussions led by senior leaders

As offices reopened, we also restarted:

• Shaolympics, our annual sports event
• Team outings at safe outdoor locations

6. Hybrid Is the Future

We adopted a hybrid work model to balance safety and productivity.

Our workplace approach focuses on:

• Flexibility
• Employee comfort
• Business needs
• Strong company values

We believe hybrid work is here to stay and helps teams collaborate while staying safe.‍

Moving Forward Together

Our employees showed resilience and determination throughout the pandemic. Their efforts inspired us to create a safer, more flexible workplace.

As we move toward normalcy, we are confident this experience will help us grow stronger—together.