Covid-19 has acquired pandemic status and businesses across the world are incorporating basic safety and hygiene features at workplaces for the greater good. Tata Motors has constituted a team to monitor and initiate actions to reduce risk to its employees across its offices and manufacturing plants in India.
An internal letter, penned by CEO and Managing Director Guenter Butschek, reveals that the company has in place a three-tiered response plan to reduce the risk of coronavirus to its employees. Over the past two weeks, the company says it has initiated some measures based on the three-tiered response plan. They include:
- A communication campaign on awareness, preventive steps and overall role in fighting Covid-19's spread
- Emails, posters and health contact meetings to reach out to employees, trainees and temporary staff
- International travel suspended, domestic travel that involves public transport subject to approval by ExCom member
- Biometric attendance system replaced by card swiping
- Adequate supply of hand sanitiders, liquid soap and masks arranged
- Visitors to Tata Motors’ sites restricted and those who are there screened
- Pregnant ladies, employees with chronic respiratory illness/cardiac conditions advised to work from home
- IT team has sent out communication on tools available for remote working
Employees at Tata Motors’ manufacturing, supply chain, quality, ERC and warehouses will operate with strict adherence to the above listings, as per the note. The directive also urges that sales, service quality, product line and ME staff should try and connect with external partners/colleagues virtually, wherever possible. Employees in office-based roles will work from home, effective March 16.
The note says that additional steps on hygiene and social distancing will be communicated by the site leader wherever required. It also highlights the need for individual accountability and responsibility towards community.