Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Has anyone’s consultant issued guidance following the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak?

My consultant is owned by a Singaporean holding company. Their business stragtegy is to create a consultancy powerhouse in Asia so the outbreak is ‘bad for business’. Already, they are reporting that the virus will have a significant impact on this years profit figures. (The financial year runs Jan-Dec over here).

What I have been most surprised and impressed by is the direction all employees of the holding company have been directed to take. It was almost like military orders! A range of measures have been implemented to protect employee welfare/health and safety and to mitigate further business impacts including:

• Cancellation of all non-essential travel to China, Hong Kong, Singapore etc.
• Authority to travel to these countries is required by company CEOs.
• 14-days self-imposed quarantine (working from home) for all employees who travel through or have close contact with people travelling through the countries above.
• Doctors note required before returning back to work.
• Workers in affected countries are all working from home to minimise further spread of the virus.

Interestingly there was due to be a large formal dinner planned next week for all elements of the Singapore business and the senior management of companies outside of Singapore. This was postponed (prior to Singaporean guidance to avoid large gatherings) because the cancellation fee was considered a small price to forefit compared to the risk and cost to the business if the entire senior management became incapacitated. All staff were informed of this decision in a direct email from the CEO explaining why the decision was being made.

I know John Holland have long had a policy of senior management travelling to meetings via different flights so an accident would not wipe out the entire senior management and to maintain avaliability of business leaders at all times. This us a very similar concept to not having the Commander and 2IC permanently co-located on the battlefield.

Our office was also due to benefit from a surge of structural engineers for a couple of weeks from a JV partner. The extra engineers were due to arrive from Hong Kong but with the 14 day quarantine requirements this is now up in the air. Wider project impacts are yet to be determined.

Aware this topic is probably ‘closer-to-home’ for the Australian crew but I’m wondering if any of the UK companies have implemented business continuity plans or if it’s not on the radar. Any thoughts?