MAM
Working from home has never been tougher than this
Over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed adverse effects of the Covid2019 pandemic. In order to flatten the curve, a nationwide lockdown was declared by the government last month. In this current situation, for office-goers like us, work from home has become the norm to ensure business continuity.
Working from home has never been as tougher before. In our communications industry, it is all the more challenging to solely depend on digital mediums including WhatsApp Texts, conference calls, Zoom calls, to name a few, to manage work, especially when you are in charge of multiple clients, business development, and dealing with many people in a day.
In our business, communication is paramount, whether impromptu meetings with my team or brainstorming for ideas for our clients or keeping a track of our competition or catching up with clients. However, remote work needs extra communication. When you work remotely, continuous communication becomes key to ensure smoother and effective functioning, which can be stressful. However, my organisation, Wizspk Communication & PR, has undertaken various measures so that the work processes become smoother for all employees such as Monday morning calls to plan for the week and Friday calls for the weekly wrap up. Furthermore, our HR team has stepped up their game and has been constantly coming up with new ways to create a seamless working experience for us. They have been regularly organizing virtual training sessions, webinars, etc. They are hosting some fun activities too to keep us motivated and help us escape the routine drudgery of life at home.
When you look from a brand’s perspective, many brands have altered their communication strategies to reflect the current times. As their communication partners, we must help them adapt their messages to the interests of their audience and on-the-ground realities. Taking the right actions and finding the right message can be challenging, especially in a fast-changing situation. Therefore, it’s critical for us to keep abreast of the latest developments to be able to help our clients navigate this period of uncertainty. We have to have our ears to the ground in order to recommend content and communication plans to tailor them to the changing needs of their consumers right now. It also becomes utmost important for us to provide accurate information and keeping people connected.
Working in isolation can be lonely. As a remote worker, I often miss benefits like creativity and innovative thinking which occur when people are working together in the same room. Also, team cohesion suffers in remote work arrangements. What I Miss Most Working in this current pandemic is the interaction with my team, co-workers, clients and friends at workplace. I miss brainstorming in-person with co-workers, the trips to the pantry to fix myself cups of coffee, lunch and coffee breaks, fun conversations during these breaks, and the rush to finish work and reach home on time. And even, commuting to office and back home despite the heavy traffic!
However, I believe it is imperative for us to be indoors and safe, and do so especially in support to our frontline fighters who are risking their lives to fight the pandemic and ensure our safety.
I’ll stay home as long as the government and the health authorities advise. But honestly, I can’t wait to go back to work.
(The author is head – business development and strategy, WIZSPK Communication)
Buying family medical insurance online in India has become a common option for individuals who want to secure health coverage for multiple family members under a single policy. However, many buyers are unsure about the exact steps involved in selecting and purchasing the right plan online.
In this guide, you will know the step-by-step process of buying family medical insurance online in India, along with the key factors to review before purchasing a suitable policy.
Step 1: Assess Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
Before buying online health insurance, check the healthcare needs of all family members. Check age, existing illnesses, regular medicines, and the likely need for hospital care later. This helps in selecting a suitable sum insured, policy type, and level of cover. It also reduces the chance of buying a plan that appears suitable but does not meet actual medical needs.
Step 2: Visit the Insurance Company’s Official Website
After understanding the family’s needs, visit the insurer’s official website and read the plan details carefully. Use the official platform to review eligibility, policy wording, waiting periods, cover details, exclusions, and renewal terms.
This step gives a clearer understanding of how the policy works before payment is made. It also helps avoid confusion caused by incomplete summaries on other pages.
Step 3: Compare Available Family Health Insurance Plans
A family medical insurance policy should be compared on factors beyond the premium. Review the sum insured, hospital network, room rent limits, pre- and post-hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment coverage, and waiting periods. It is also important to check treatment sub-limits and specific policy conditions.
Careful comparison helps determine whether a plan provides balanced coverage and whether its terms are suitable for the healthcare needs of the entire family.
Step 4: Choose the Right Policy and Start the Online Purchase
Once the options have been compared, select the policy that best fits the family’s medical needs and budget. Before starting the application, review the covered members, policy term, benefits, and main conditions again. This is an important stage because errors here can lead to the wrong cover amount, an unsuitable variant, or missing details that create problems during policy use.
Step 5: Calculate the Premium Using an Online Calculator
Use the online premium calculator before making the final choice. Enter the correct details, including age, city, number of insured members, and selected cover amount. The result helps in understanding the expected premium and whether the policy fits the annual budget. This step is useful because it allows cost and coverage to be reviewed together, instead of choosing a plan only because the premium looks lower.
Step 6: Fill in Personal and Medical Details
When filling in the proposal form, provide accurate details for each insured member. This includes name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, ongoing treatment, and previous insurance information if required.
Every answer should be complete and truthful. Incorrect or missing details can create difficulty later. Before you submit the form, read every section again and correct any mistakes.
Step 7: Make Payment Through the Secure Payment Gateway
After checking the form, go to the payment page and complete the transaction through the secure payment gateway. Review the premium, policy term, and entered details once more before confirming payment.
After the transaction is completed, save the receipt, reference number, or confirmation message carefully. Keeping this record is useful if you need to track the purchase or follow up on policy issuance later.
Step 8: Download and Keep Your Policy Document Safely
Once the policy is issued, download the policy document, schedule, and any related papers without delay. Read them carefully to confirm member names, policy period, sum insured, and major terms. Save a digital copy in a secure folder and keep a printed copy if needed. Proper record keeping makes future renewals, document checks, and policy servicing easier and more organised when information is required quickly.
Conclusion
Buying health cover online becomes easier when you handle each step with attention. From checking your family’s needs to reading the final document, every stage helps you make an informed choice. A careful approach can reduce mistakes, improve your understanding of policy terms, and help you choose coverage that matches your household’s medical needs, financial capacity, and long-term healthcare planning in a reliable way for your family over the long term.
