Due to the coronavirus, we all have to act and work in unusual ways at the moment. It is important that we make every effort to prevent the spread of the virus and to protect society and people, especially those who may be affected irreversibly.
Manifesto is prepared for the effects of the coronavirus in its operations and customer work as follows:
- We pay close attention to hygiene. We have reminded our staff of the importance of good hygiene when washing hands, sneezing and coughing. We have also intensified the cleaning routines of our office and the special cleaning of surfaces such as desks and door handles which can carry coronaviruses.
- We favor remote work. We have encouraged all Manifesto staff to work from home to prevent the spread and transmission of the coronavirus. Also under normal circumstances, our staff is used to working from their homes, so Manifesto’s customer service continues uninterrupted. Manifesto’s employees even with mild flu symptoms are advised to stay at home.
- We meet digitally. For the time being, we will arrange all customer meetings digitally unless there are legitimate reasons to meet face-to-face. Digital meetings has already been our common practice with many of our clients.
- We do not travel. In accordance with the recommendations of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, we are not traveling abroad on business for the time being. Traveling within Finland is also restricted, as meetings are mainly organized digitally.
- If infected by the coronavirus. In the event of an infection, Manifesto will act on the recommendations from the authorities, placing all our employees in a home quarantine for 14 days. In accordance with the instructions of the authorities, we will immediately report the infection to customers who have had physical contact with Manifesto. We will also promptly notify of any customer team changes due to illness. In line with our quality program, Manifesto’s customer teams always include multiple consultants, so the tasks are smoothly transferred within the team. If the entire team is ill at the same time, we would divide the work between the different teams.
We are constantly monitoring and following the development of epidemic as well as the recommendations from the authorities. Coronavirus creates an exceptional situation for all of us, but Manifesto operates and serves its customers normally with the above guidelines in mind.
Communication plays a vital role in crises. There must be a sufficient amount of communication, and both facts and emotions must be taken into consideration when communicating. People need to have enough accurate information about the crisis, but they also need to feel that their concerns and feelings are being addressed and supported. During the corona crisis, we will increase our communication between all Manifesto’s staff and with our customers, not only to keep our business running, but also to maintain a good spirit.
Quoting the words of Finland’s President, Mr. Sauli Niinistö, from an interview with the Finnish Broadcasting Company: “Let’s have less physical interaction but increase mental interaction!”