Responding to COVID-19 Together

24 Mar 2020

Companies

As the world responds to the outbreak of COVID-19, our thoughts are with the people affected and the medical professionals working around the clock to help those most in need. At IPG, we’re working to do our part by ensuring the safety of our employees, developing creative ideas to protect the health and well-being of our communities, and setting up our people to help them do their best work for our clients while working remotely.

Safety of our People

Of course, the safety of our people is first and foremost. Our business is based on the talent and creativity of each of us. Which is why we have worked hard to ensure that our employees are safe, protected and productive as we respond to the spread of the coronavirus.

Steps include moving rapidly to a work-from-home environment for our people and publishing a COVID-19 watch page on our intranet with guidelines for business operations. We have also shared common-sense practices for staying healthy and protecting the well-being of our communities. In addition, we have communicated rapidly to the impacted population in every instance where an employee who had been in an office tested positive for COVID-19, and we have disinfected those offices.

We continue to share the resources our people have available through IPG for their own well-being, encouraging them to tap into employee assistance programs, Talkspace sessions with counselors, teledoc services and other wellness programs.

Creative Solutions

Our business is rooted in creativity and values. Our people are the heart and soul of our company and it didn’t take long for IPG to see creative responses from our teams, partners and clients to slow the spread of the coronavirus, encourage actions to protect the health of our communities, and ensure we all talk about the pandemic in terms of facts, not rumors.

From McCann and L’Oréal’s first hair color spot created at home to The Martin Agency’s “Stay Playful, to FCB Chicago’s #TrashDayCostume, our agencies around the world are working with clients to raise awareness around COVID-19 and fight issues of racism and hatred around the disease. Every day we are sharing new, powerful, and effective responses from our people.

Working Remotely

IPG recommends that all global employees who work in a role that can be done from home, do so, until the spread of the virus slows in the market where they work.

Technology plays a vital role in reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people and organizations, including helping people stay productive at work when they’re not able to be there physically. Across the global economy, IPG is making sure our people can work remotely without sacrificing collaboration, security or creativity.

With kids, dogs and family members in tow, IPG’s people continue to support our clients and deliver on business goals. As they do so, we are supporting our people with constant communication, virtual team meetings and sharing tips on how each of us is working through this time. This includes a continued focus on our values of inclusivity and diversity.