Why Face Masks Will Stay Even After the Pandemic

As 2020 nears its conclusion, people across the world are getting more and more accepting and accustomed to the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it. 

In the West, the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places might be one of the most difficult rules to implement, with a lot of violent incidents taking place because of it. In Asia, though, face masks were already commonly used in public even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our countries. The top reasons Asians use it are when they’re sick—to not spread their sickness or make it worse—and to protect themselves from pollution.

Masks are no stranger here

Prior to COVID-19 here in the Philippines, we can usually see people sporting face masks in public transportations such as jeepneys, UVs, and especially on trains. Motorcycle taxis such as Angkas also offer it to their passengers for extra protection against traffic smog. This has made it easier for the public to embrace this preventative mandate without resistance compared to our western counterparts.

As we start to visualize a post-pandemic future, it is most likely that the majority of Philippine citizens will keep wearing masks in public and other people-dense places, like our offices.

Masks offer a powerful health protection

Although the COVID-19 might end anytime in the succeeding months, it will definitely not be the last public health threat that we will encounter. This pandemic has taught us to take our health more seriously than we thought we already did, and it has educated us on how powerful can face masks be when it comes to protecting our health.

Face masks have been proven and established to prevent the wearer from ingesting respiratory droplets from viral disease-carrying individuals—and it is not limited to coronaviruses; it also includes more common viral diseases such as the common cold and influenza (flu). Inversely, when worn by a sick person, masks also prevent the carrier to spread these diseases to others.

Masks should be a part of our future offices

When the time comes that we can already welcome our employees back in our offices in full capacity, we should highly consider keeping mask-wearing as one of our initiatives in maintaining a healthy workplace. Our employees are one of the people who can’t afford to get even the slightest bit of sick, yet sickness can easily spread in our offices.

Requiring masks, especially in rainy and flu seasons will benefit everyone’s health. It also nurtures a culture of respect and courtesy among our employees.

Mask detection in the workplace made effortless

Salarium has been committed to adapting to the needs of businesses in the Philippines. That’s why we’ve developed a solution that safely automates the requirement of face mask-wearing, thermal scanning, and attendance monitoring in your office with FacePass: Salarium’s touchless time and attendance solution.

FacePass features an advanced, touchless facial recognition device that can detect face masks, scan body temperature, and record clock-ins at the same time within seconds. It is seamlessly integrated into Salarium’s timekeeping system so you can easily track and manage shifts, schedules, overtimes, undertimes, and leaves; and complete attendance reports instantly.

Why go touchless?

1. Safety + Convenience

Accurately record clock-ins and outs of your employees in seconds, without the need for physical contact.

• Touchless clock-ins and clock-outs in real-time via facial recognition
• Temperature scanning
• Facemask detection

2. Efficiency

• Create, Track, and Manage Shifts and Schedules
• Manage Overtimes, Undertimes, and Leaves
• Complete Attendance Reports Instantly

3. Flexibility

Are you implementing rotational shifts for your skeletal workforce? This service is designed to work with our Timekeeping Methods such as our mobile-friendly Web Bundy, so you can monitor your employees’ time and attendance while keeping them safe WHEREVER they work—office or at home.

For more information, you can visit salarium.com/facepass/. Stay safe, Go Touchless!

References:

• Will masks become the ‘new normal’ even after the pandemic has passed? Some Americans say so
• 20 views on the biggest opportunity for change after the pandemic
• Why Was Mask Wearing Popular In Asia Even Before Covid-19?
• After the COVID-19 pandemic will you still wear a mask on flights?
• Does Wearing a Mask Protect You from the Flu and Other Viruses?