We face a number of difficult challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for employees to work effectively and safely, knowing that their company is safeguarding and supporting them, it was necessary to act swiftly and decisively.
As with many other businesses, it was essential for the EMS Group to find quick solutions in order to meet the needs of its employees and of the company in the face of the pandemic. The solution was to introduce specific protocols and to make it possible for certain departments and members of staff to work remotely; this has enabled us to maintain quality standards and our output as well as keeping the problems encountered by employees to a minimum.

Our response to the lockdown

Acting quickly and listening are the key concepts that describe our response to the first pandemic in March. Francesca Cerinelli, HR Organization Recruitment Specialist, says, “We took decisive action from the very beginning. In just two weeks, most of our employees were given the opportunity to work from home. Our ICT department worked quickly to ensure that this could happen.
Everyone in HR worked extremely hard to coordinate the various activities in order to ensure that both the members of staff who work from home and those who, for specific reasons, had to continue working on site, were protected. As Simona Pisoni, HR Business Partner, explains: “The number of people in each office has been halved, rooms have been used in different ways and spaces such as meeting rooms have been adjusted to accommodate employees previously working in other offices where social distancing was not possible”.

Each employee has been given personal protective equipment 

The company implemented safety protocols such as temperature taking and distributing personal protective equipment in order to protect its employees.

Raffaella Cammi, HR Admin Specialist: “We have provided every employee with a starter kit consisting of 4 washable face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and a visor”. 
How were we able to source all these materials at such a difficult time? “Act faster than the safety protocols.”

This motto describes every measure we have taken from March until today.  Indeed, we succeeded in providing this kit to all our employees even during the first lockdown when finding personal protective equipment was extremely hard, thereby ensuring that our employees could work in complete safety including those working on site.

Phase 2: Living with the virus while achieving our goals

Thanks to the collective effort of both management and staff, the EMS Group has managed to continue dealing with both customers and suppliers without having to interrupt the production process.
The dialogue with our partners has been successfully maintained through remote working and virtual meetings (see for example the virtual FATs – links). Without a doubt, these online services will continue to play a decisive role in the development and growth of each company.
“Being ‘forced’ to increase our online capabilities at corporate level,” says Michele Ruggiu, Organization & HR Director, “has turned out to be an asset for the group and an opportunity for our employees. Many of them have welcomed the opportunity to work from home, which has enabled them to reconcile their professional and family needs”.
As Raffaella Cammi highlights, putting in place and taking advantage of digital solutions has also enabled us to continue to offer all the training courses scheduled: “an added value much appreciated by employees, who have seen the continuation of their personal development within the EMS Group“.

How to protect employees in Phase 3

Protecting the health of our employees has continued to be a priority during 2020. Cristina Bifulco, Office Management & Receptions explains: “In addition to internal protocols, we have increased the health and safety measures for employees on secondment”.
The HR office has worked closely with the HSE department by paying particular attention to employees on secondment who have been given the opportunity to undergo swab tests on their return from work, all booked and coordinated directly by the HSE department.

The HSE department has also requested that they provide direct qualitative feedback on their experience within the other companies, which have their own health and safety protocol (in addition to that of the EMS Group), as well as qualitative feedback on the hotels and restaurants where they stayed during their secondment.
The sales team and the leadership team, given how often they travel and the number of people they come into contact with, were given the opportunity to undergo antibody tests; moreover, management has always guaranteed the presence of at least one manager on site.
The arrival of autumn has also seen the launch of a flu vaccination campaign: “We have taken timely action by contacting a doctor’s surgery in Parma,” explains Francesca Cerinelli “to offer the flu vaccine to all employees who wish to be immunised. Vaccines will be given by doctors and nurses at the company’s premises”.

In general, the focus of the EMS Group has always been to respond to the specific needs of each individual, according to both their role in the company and their personal needs.

A great deal of credit is due to management who, as Cristina Bifulco points out, “have always been supportive and flexible, by giving everyone the choice to either work from home or on site, depending on their needs and preferences”. This approach is essential for the psychological well-being of staff who should not only be able to work in complete safety but also feel that they are safe in the workplace.