JAPAN DISASTER: Petchem firms tell staff to work from home

16 March 2011 09:24  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Several petrochemical firms in Tokyo have allowed staff members to work from home as transportation hiccups and aftershocks from Friday’s 9.0-magnitude quake continue to hamper normal operations, sources said on Wednesday.

Chemicals trading firm Itochu said that it has allowed employees to finish work earlier as Tokyo is still facing visible aftershocks, a source said.

Other petrochemical companies, meanwhile, are planning evacuations due to the heightened risks of a radiation leak from the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to sources.

“Some companies have finally decided to make employees stay home because everyone should have personal computers to continue working and businesses would not be affected,” a Daicel Industries company official said.

“Our company is still working as usual but still some employees have difficulty taking transportation to the office although all transportation systems are functioning,” he said.

A number of Sumitomo Chemical’s staff were still working at its Tokyo-based office on Wednesday, while some personnel had opted to work from home due to transportation difficulties, a company source told ICIS.

Meanwhile, employees at Showa Denko’s headquarters in Tokyo were told to work from home on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow staff members to be with their families, according to a source.

Additional reporting by Prema Viswanathan, Junie Lin and Helen Lee

By: Nurluqman Suratman

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