Update on March 13th
The Coronavirus crisis takes new turns on a daily basis and we have established a committee that is actively monitoring the situation in each country. We met this morning to determine what Awin should do next to protect the health and welfare of our partners and staff, to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the wider community.
Decision to close Awin offices until further notice
From Monday onwards, all Awin staff have been requested to work from home. Awin offices will close to facilitate this.
Why?
The health of our staff is our primary concern. We conducted a successful working from home trial for our entire workforce around the globe over the past two days. As we’ve demonstrated our ability to function effectively without needing to be in the office, we see no reason to put our staff at additional risk of contracting this virus because of the need to travel to work or spend time together in an office environment.
What does this mean?
All Awin staff will be working from home for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to predict how long this will last or how the virus will develop in each country, but we will keep monitoring the situation and do our best to communicate updates to you on a regular basis.
Our staff are still available on the usual communication channels and any scheduled meetings you may have with them will be made virtual. This policy will be in place until further notice. We will monitor the situation and communicate changes to these guidelines as necessary. However, the expectation is that this will be the ‘new normal’ for several weeks.
Once again we appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to navigate the situation and take responsible action. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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Update on March 12th
With the health of Awin’s partners and employees at the forefront of our minds, we would like to outline the measures we have taken in light of the ongoing COVID-19 Coronavirus.
We aim to act in the most responsible manner, taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our partners and employees, while also attempting to minimize disruption as much as possible.
Events and training
As the situation continues to evolve, we feel it is irresponsible to bring together large groups of people from across the globe. Therefore we have made the decision to cancel all Awin events and training that were due to take place between now and June 30, 2020, globally - including ThinkTank US 2020 and the 2020 Network Awards. At this time, ThinkTank US and the Network Awards will resume in 2021, but should there be any further changes to this we will provide an update.
This was not an easy decision or one that was taken lightly. However with the situation continuing to evolve on a daily basis, we wanted to not only reduce the safety risk but also reduce the financial impact on our partners and the risk of money being lost later if travel restrictions continue to expand. We think it’s best to make the decision now so everyone knows where they stand, rather than operating under the threat of cancellation and incurring more health and financial costs later down the line. We are currently exploring the option of hosting virtual events in their place and will keep you informed.
We will be refunding all tickets and sponsorships for the events and training that have been canceled. We are also offering the option to transfer these costs to our 2021 events. For any ThinkTank US specific questions or concerns, please email thinktank@awin.com.
Business travel
- We have canceled all international air travel until June 30, 2020, and will maximize online/virtual meetings where possible
- Local travel within a territory is reduced to a minimum and constantly reviewed according to local authority guidance
Daily operations and meetings
Awin has already implemented flexible working policies across all offices in recent years, and as a result, is able to ensure business continuity even when our staff work remotely.
In line with local health and governmental instructions, we have taken the following preventative measures:
- Flexible remote working arrangements for staff in general
- Preventive remote working regulations for employees in need of special health protection
- If required locally, temporary remote working arrangements for all staff with full continuity of business and service
- Self-quarantine remote working for employees who have been in contact with infected individuals
- Self-quarantine remote working for employees returning from restricted locations, or if their partner or family members have also traveled to those areas
- Where possible, online/virtual meetings have been organised to replace face-to-face meetings, both internal and external
We offer our sincere apologies for any disruption experienced by our partners during this time while we take the necessary precautions to help prevent the risk of a situation and events beyond our control.
Awin will always follow any official government guidance and regulation on the matter, and we are continuing to monitor official channels for developments and will make changes to our practices accordingly.
If you have any questions related to this matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit our information hub where we bring you the latest news from Awin, as well as links to network insights and useful pointers, alongside wider updates.
