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Thank you for your commitment to National Grid and to our customers. These past two months have tested us in ways we never imagined possible. We’re living through uncertain times, as COVID-19 continues to affect our way of life, how we work, and connect with one another.
As government officials finalize their reopening plans, we know our teams have never stopped. Be it at home, in the office, or in the field, we have all been working to ensure we deliver for our customers. And just as the communities we serve plan their next steps, we are planning ours. Rest assured we are proceeding with caution and closely monitoring official guidance, local conditions, and reopening criteria to ensure we are keeping our employees and customers safe.
This means for us that the vast majority of employees who are working remotely will continue to do so for an extended period of time.
Meanwhile, we are taking important steps to prepare:
- The criteria and defined regions that will guide decisions for returning to our facilities will be published on May 12 and updated weekly.
- On May 19, we will publish our Safe Work Guide, which will describe new protocols and procedures that will be in place across our business. This online resource will be updated regularly and will help all of our team members understand the important measures we are taking to keep each of us safe.
- With the exception of plans for the sequestered employees who are moving to the next phase in their plan, we will not be taking any further action to return employees to offices or facilities before May 26. After May 26, and if/when our criteria are met in a given region, then we will begin an initial phase of measured changes that allow a small number of employees currently working from home to return to our facilities. This will be done only where we have very specific operational challenges that need to be addressed and scientific criteria is met to allow employees to safely return to our facilities. Employees will be given at least one week advance notice of any planned change that impacts them directly.
Since taking on the role of leading our Pandemic Transition Planning team, I’ve spent a lot of time listening and learning, and capturing best practices from other utilities and other industries. We now have a great, cross-functional team in place supporting our Pandemic Transition planning efforts (click here for a list of team members). And we are collaborating across every part of our business to develop tailored plans that factor in employee health, wellbeing, and safety. Some areas we’re looking at include cleaning protocols, flex schedules with staggered hours, and long-term cultural changes in how we work, travel, and collaborate. There are a lot of unknowns right now and the comprehensive plans we develop will allow us to adapt as needed, including responding to emergencies.
I know you have many questions and concerns. It’s understandable. We have a lot of work to do before the majority of employees return to our facilities, and we are taking our time to get it right. In the interim, we’re focused on continuing safe work in the field, further enabling our employees to work successfully from home, and delivering for our customers as we do every day.
You’ll be hearing more from me as our plans evolve. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Terry
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