Client's Challenge
The COVID-19 Pandemic placed an urgent need on businesses to consider the health and safety of their employees. With many countries going into lockdown and legislation enforcing a work from home policy, larger businesses were forced to instruct much of their staff to work from home.
Initially it was hoped for a short-term basis, however it was quickly realised that working from home would become the new normal. Our client employed 16,000 employees, across 27 European countries, with many employees un-prepared for the urgent need to work from home. This placed an immediate challenge on our clients’ resources, how to support 16,000 home workers and ensure they are all safe?
Our Solution
As a retained partner for many years, we helped our client to formulate a strategy to assess, support and assist their employees in every country. Embark developed an online tool that enabled our clients’ workers to understand how to work safely at home, how to set up their working environment and asked them a series of questions to identify any potential issues.
Once all 16,000 employees were surveyed, we assessed the results and formatted a process to risk rate their responses and follow a phased plan to support them. This developed into one-to-one consultations, where our clients’ employees were able to speak with one of our qualified assessors, who would give them advice, guidance and take records of their home working environment.
Any employees needing support or additional home working equipment were supplied with everything they needed to be able to work from home for the long term. With the continued support and guidance from Embark.
Client Outcome
Following the 1st phase of the home working assessments in 2020, Embark had carried out over 1000 one-to-one consultations and more than 3000 workers had received additional equipment to support them when working from home.
We are now completing our 4th phase of home working assessments with our client, resulting in over 3000 consultations and every employee being offered guidance, support, consultations and access to the latest IT and home working equipment to support them.
Our client’s staff are happy and healthier as a result, and benefit from ongoing support whenever they need it!