Knowing the difference between essential and non-essential services can help you cope with the ongoing pandemic lockdown. Since the imposition of ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, some businesses closed while others remained open.

Why do you need to know essential vs non-essential?

• Understand community quarantine rules.
• Find more flexible jobs.

What are Essential and Non-essential products and services

Essential or critical goods and services refer to the end-products and activities required or necessary for the minimum normal functioning of society that revolve around basic human needs such as shelter, water, communication, food and clothing. They also pertain to the secondary essential support that makes society function efficiently such as banking, and money transfer services.

Non-essential refers to the secondary end-products and services that aren’t necessary for the minimum and normal functioning of society and basic human needs.

Basic essential products and services

• Bakeries
• Canned sardines canneries
• Energy suppliers
• Fish market
• Granaries
• Homeless shelters
• Livestock farm
• Rice planters
• Vegetable market
• Water filtration
• Water suppliers

Supportive essential product and services

• Ambulatory
• Banking
• Child care services
• Factories of personal protective equipment (Face mask, facial shield)
• Funeral services, cemeteries and crematoriums
• Government offices and services
• Hospitals
• Law enforcement (Police, Security and Military)
• Logistics
• Medical wholesale and distribution
• Mental health counselling
• Money remittances
• Petrol stations
• Pharmaceutical research and development (vaccine)
• Pharmacies
• Port services
• Sanitary products (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide)
• Security
• Telcos (Smartphone loaders and internet business)
• Transportation (delivery of basic goods)
• Trash collectors
• Warehouse facilities (storage of basic goods, pharmacies)

Non-essential products and services

• Arts and craft business
• Beauty supply stores
• Car washing services
• Concert venues
• Dance schools
• Gyms, yoga, spin and barre facilities
• Movie theatres
• Personal appearance and grooming businesses (barbershop, tattoo shop, hair salons, eyelash salons, body piercing)
• Pool resorts
• Recreation facilities (parks, bowling alleys)
• Shopping malls
• Skating rink
• Sporting event venues
• Vaping supply stores

The domino effect of pandemic lockdown on jobs: 

No jobs are completely immune to the economic impact of COVID-19 since every company or industry depends on one another. Likewise, the economy is like an ecosystem where input and output (manufacturing - production) revolve or cycle. But there are jobs, due to their flexible working arrangements, that can be performed at the comfort of your home. On the other hand, some occupations require physical presence such as bank security guard, restaurant cook, and warehouseman.

An IT company can still deliver its services remotely as long as its team members can work at home and remotely send the deliverables at the required pace and efficiency. An IT company can only be affected or have its income affected by forced lockdown and social distancing if it depends on clients directly affected by the pandemic. If an IT company depends on clients operating restaurants, events, tourism and airlines (or in non-essential products and services), its revenue might probably be slashed by the loss of income of its clients. In other words, it’s a domino effect.

IT company clients (low probability of being affected by Pandemic)

• Energy
• Healthcare
• Banking
• Ecommerce food and beverage
• Security 
• Water supply
• Transportation (transport of medicine, food, fuel)
• Communication
• Public security
• Law enforcement

IT company clients (high probability of being affected by Pandemic)

• Airlines
• Tourism
• Restaurants 
• Event organising
• Cosmetology
• Shipping
• Entertainment
• Transportation
• Hotel
• Entertainment (Boxing, Basketball and other sports)

What is a skeletal workforce?

Skeletal workforce refers to the minimum number of staff or employees needed for the minimum and normal functioning of a business. During the normal working hours (before the start of Pandemic), companies require a minimum of staff to mitigate situations such as employees who are on sick leave, vacation, medical check-up, suspension and resignation