Business in Ukraine limiting trips, visits of offices by non-employees, testing remote work over COVID-19

Companies, operating in Ukraine, with the purpose of preventing the spread the coronavirus COVID-19 limit international business trips and trips inside the country, introduce restrictions to the access of visitors to the offices and production facilities and working on the organization of remote work.

"We recommended restricting the stay of external visitors in our offices and at the workplace, and restricting international business trips. In addition, our employees should inform their managers about their departure or the departure of their family members to a country that is classified as a country where the virus is spreading. We introduced flexible working hours a long ago, so people can use this opportunity," Director of the People & Culture department at Philip Morris in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia and Moldova Emel Mordo said

She told Interfax-Ukraine that the company in Ukraine additionally cleans all rooms, provides antiseptic liquid in reception rooms, kitchens, conference rooms, as well as medical masks.

"The sales team has special mobile hygiene kits for visits to points of sale," Mordo added.

Globally, Philip Morris has created a cross-functional emergency management team in the cluster, which goal is to continuously monitor the situation, implement preventive measures and an action plan in accordance with further developments.

Corteva Agriscience also has crisis management teams at global and regional levels. The company told Interfax-Ukraine that it introduced a travel restriction for employees.

In addition, Corteva Agriscience as a global company makes donations and other in-kind contributions to the regions of the world most affected by COVID-19 – Europe and Asia.

Nestle also shares global concern over the spread of COVID-19. It urged employees to refrain from international business trips until April 15, 2020, and business trips within the country, if possible, suggested replacing them by alternative communication methods.

"We asked employees who had traveled to the regions where quarantine measures had been taken in the past 14 days to inform the direct supervisor and, if possible, to work from home for two weeks. Various biosecurity measures have been introduced in factories, offices and distribution centers," Nestle told Interfax-Ukraine.

Since last week, JTI Ukraine offices have taken measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in particular, business trips abroad (until the end of March) and in Ukraine (for two weeks) are temporarily prohibited. The company also introduced self-quarantine for 14 days for workers who came from business trips or vacations from countries where the virus is raging. In addition, JTI Ukraine has restricted unauthorized visits to the office (and couriers' visits), they are allowed only in case of emergency.

"Office is disinfected every 15 minutes. Hand disinfectors are installed at the reception and kitchens, disinfectant rugs are placed at the entrance to the office. All employees were given masks and a hand disinfector. In case of symptoms of SARS, not only the workers, but also their relatives were recommended to work from home," the company said.

JTI Ukraine said that on March 12 a trial day of remote work outside the office for all employees will be held (in the event that COVID-19 cases are detected in the office or in the business center and all employees are transferred to work from home).

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua