Press statement - our response to COVID-19

In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday 16 March advising people to stop non-essential contact and unnecessary travel, our UK-based teams in London, Liverpool and Cambridge are working remotely.

Our offices around the world are also taking precautions that best address their particular circumstances. Our offices in China, Dubai, France, Austria, Czech Republic and Poland, have implemented remote working access for all of their people. In Germany, all of our offices are fully operational through remote working access and reduced staff presence in each office. In the Netherlands, Hungary, Slovakia and the Ukraine most of our people are also working remotely with minimal staff operating on rotation in those offices for certain limited/essential roles.

This move to remote working reflects our priority of ensuring the well-being of our people, clients and wider community. The duration of our remote working will therefore be under regular review and in line with government and international health organisation advice.

Additional measures taken in the last month so far include:

• We have cut back on running large group seminars and events
• We have restricted travel to the essential and stopped travel to WHO category 1 and 2 areas
• We have tested existing technologies and remote working access to ensure that our business activity can continue for our people and our clients on a large scale
• We took the decision earlier this week to cancel our upcoming International Partners Conference to be held later this month. Instead international meetings will be held using our technology to connect.
• We are also using digital technologies that support an enhanced connected experience
• We have prepared for the need to work from home in large numbers
• We have increased our office cleaning schedules and provided additional hand sanitiser across each floor and in common areas
• We are communicating regularly with staff as their welfare is primary to our concern
• We have prepared for alternative business continuity needs and are able to continue to deliver the best possible service to our clients
• We are also advising clients in respect of the challenges they face brought by COVID-19.

As you will understand our primary focus is to support our people and to continue deliverng to the needs of our clients. We will continue to update members of the press on developments at the earliest and most appropriate opportunity, and we would ask that you work with us during this time. If you have any further questions, please email Sarah Le Cheminant and Heather McMaster in the communications team who will respond to you as soon as possible.