Analysis of e-Employee Discipline Implementation during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Workplace

e-Employee Discipline is the electronic and remote conduction of employee discipline procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is a quantitative descriptive study that focused on assessing and analyzing the implementation of e-Employee Discipline Procedure. Convenient purposive sampling technique was assigned to 150 employees who were employed during COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila as the respondents in this study. Furthermore, a survey was utilized to gather quantitative data. Moreover, a one-on-one interview using the data gathered in the statistical result was utilized to gather qualitative data. The demographic profile, majority are male (60%) who age 22 to 25 years old (34%), who are college graduates (48.7%), having an entry level job position (46.7%) and working in art/media/communication industry (35.3%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents find that the implementation of the e-Employee Discipline Procedure as fair and effective in terms of proper documentation procedures, handling of confidentiality, safety and security ( = 4.64;σ = 0.68). However, the challenge is that the respondents moderately agree that the procedure of employee discipline that is conducted remotely is somehow a bit far off with what is usually done in the office (face-to-face) ( = 4.38;σ = 1.30). The absence of physical touch and non-verbal cues like tone of voice, body language and hand gesture are something that the respondents are longing for. Pandemic really detached people from the warmth of each other. Conducting employee discipline which oftentimes has dealt with emotions remotely finds the respondents longing for the physical presence of being heard. © 2023 ACM.

Real-world evidence of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies in chilean patients with multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Real-world evidence studies regarding the effectiveness and safety of disease-modifying therapies are useful for clinical practice and for assessing the risk-benefit of some health policy interventions. Objective(s): To evaluate safety and effectiveness outcomes in year 1 and year 2 in patients receiving antiCD20 monoclonal antibodies. Method(s): Longitudinal observational study of MS patients under regular care at the Programa de Esclerosis Multiple UC in Chile who received at least one dose of ocrelizumab or rituximab between June 2018 and April 2022. Result(s): A total of 229 patients were included, 219 using Ocrelizumab and 10 using Rituximab. 163 patients had relapsingremitting MS (RRMS), 68% female, mean age at antiCD20 34.3+8.5 years, mean disease duration 5.6+5.4 years, and median baseline EDSS 1.5(0-6.0). 35 had primary progressive MS (PPMS), 54% female, mean age at antiCD20 47+12 years, mean disease duration 6.3+6.3 years and median EDSS 4.0(1.0-7.0). 31 had secondary progressive MS (SPMS), 64% female, mean age at antiCD20 50.4+9.7 years, mean disease duration 16.4+10.1 years and median EDSS 6.0(1.0-7.0). Before antiCD20, mean annualized relapse rate (ARR) was 0.7+0.5 for RRMS, and 0.2+0.4 for PPMS and SPMS patients, and MRI activity (newT2/Gd+) was observed in 84.8% of RRMS, 60% of PPMS and 40.7% of SPMS patients. Mean ARR in years 1 and 2 was 0 in RRMS and PPMS, 0.05+0.2 in year 1 and 0 in year 2 for SPMS. NewT2/Gd+ in years 1 and 2 were observed in 11.4% and 8.3% in RRMS, 21.4% and 0 in PPMS, and 0 in SPMS. Year 1 and 2 EDSS progression was observed in 0% and 3.6% of RRMS, 0 and 15.4% in PPMS, and 18.1% and 21.4% in SPMS. Years 1 and 2 NEDA3 was obtained in 82.6% and 94.6% of RRMS, 70% and 87.5% of PPMS and 90% and 87.5% of SPMS. Infusion Reactions were observed in 35% during the first dose, decreasing with each infusion (13.5% in the fourth infusion), all were considered mild. The most frequent year 1 adverse event were COVID-19 (n=5), upper tract infection (n=4), diarrhoea (n=4) and urinary tract infection (n=4). The most frequent year 2 adverse events were COVID-19 (n=4) and skin infection (n=3). One patient with previous history of breast cancer developed a tumour recurrence during the second year of treatment. Conclusion(s): This study supports robust effectiveness outcomes in a real-world cohort, with a consistent safety profile in patients receiving care at a specialized MS Unit.

The Use of Digital Technology for Collection Efficiency and Investment Recovery in Manila Urban Settlements

This research is entitled "The use of digital technology for collection efficiency and investment recovery in Manila urban settlements."As of June 2021, about 3,322 are active lot awardees of the City of Manila's land-for-the-landless program (LLP) that administers 101 city-landed estates. However, its collection efficiency has continued to plummet in the last three years. There was a 19% decrease from 2018 to 2019, 47% from 2019 to 2020, and 20% by the end of the second quarter of 2021. When the pandemic happened, there was a sudden drop of 54% in the LLP collection rate. The researchers formulated a workable solution to improve the collection efficiency and investment recovery of the LLP. Oyelami et al. (2020) [1] study revealed a significant positive relationship between the electronic payment systems determinants and e-payment adoption. Around 60% of the respondents agreed that they are willing to adapt to e-payment schemes because of convenience, security and safety, and social influences. However, the results from their estimations also show that factors such as educational attainment, financial inclusion, income level, internet service availability, and other financial infrastructures are critical determinants of e-payment adoption. This paper on digital technology for collection efficiency and investment recovery highly recommends the shift to digital payments. The study revealed that 68% of the lot awardees prefer sending SMS billing reminders to receive a printed account statement. Furthermore, 77% of the respondents in this study have shown a strong interest in paying electronically through the "E-Cash"online payment platform, while 12% prefer other online modes. Therefore, the shift to online payments is desired. © 2022 ACM.

Fostering Inclusive Education in the Online Sphere: A Case on Child Safety Protocols

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in schools globally, posing challenges for children with exceptionalities. Government policies during the pandemic necessitate the inclusion of people with special needs, as no one should be left behind. The researchers explore the Philippine laws governing inclusive education and the safety protocols that should be taken in the online sphere. Two legal consultants were presented with a hypothetical problem in the subject, Technology and Livelihood Education, which involves life skills activities. This paper explores safety in planning school activities, given the shift to online learning and the special needs of atypical students. This research has found that it is vital that prior home-school agreements, proper home-school communication, and efforts to carry out one's role under loco in parentis must be maintained to enable safe inclusive education to continue in the online sphere. © 2022 ACM.