The hit to the markets from COVID-19 needs no introduction.
And in one of our recent posts, we talked about what investment managers can do in response to the coronavirus.
While we understand the uncertainty and the severity of the current situation, we are not here to fan the flames of doom and gloom.
We take a long-term approach, and we believe better times will return. In the meantime, people need assurance more than ever.
They can't afford any more disruption to their work flows, and knowing they will have a smoothly running operation during these times is paramount.
For our current and prospective clients, we are here to assure them that we have a plan to handle the coronavirus situation.
Empaxis sent to all clients a detailed document, explaining all measures we are taking to protect from the threats of the virus. As much of our client-facing work is done by our hard-working, dedicated team in India, we want to assure our clients their operation will run as planned.
All Empaxis employees have been briefed and trained on company policies as it relates to the coronavirus.
In the event of an emergency, designated team members will be responsible for reaching out to health and emergency service providers should any team member fall ill.
These designated team members are also responsible for keeping other team members informed on the latest updates of the virus and what it means to our organization.
Maintaining the health of our employees is our utmost priority, as they are able to serve our clients to the fullest.
Employees who are feeling sick, regardless of symptoms, are asked to remain at home. The good health of the majority must not be compromised by one or a few.
For the duration of the coronavirus outbreak, all Empaxis team members at our India office will be required to have their temperatures taken before they enter the facility.
Employees are required to wash hands frequently and use disinfectants for commonly touched objects (keyboards, phones, mouses, desks, etc.).
Social distancing is required. Minimum required distances between employees have been established, and handshaking is prohibited.
To aid in our social distancing efforts, the number of employees allowed in our India facility at a single time has been reduced by half.
Team members are divided into two groups, and they will work in the office at alternate times.
Team members are required to practice social distancing in public when communicating to and from work.
One of our strengths and sources of pride is our ability to eliminate key-personnel risk for our clients.
Not all investment firms have the ability to have backup resources in the event someone is out sick, on vacation, or leaves the organization. That is where Empaxis helps.
While we provide a primary lead to handle a client's daily processes, there are multiple backups available, trained and well-versed in the client's environment to pick up where another team member left off.
Given the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the US and UK, team members in these locations are required to work remotely.
In India, while the situation at present is relatively less severe (though that can change), team members will be able to work in the office, but under certain conditions, as mentioned above.
Just like many organizations have required their employees to work remotely, our employees may be asked to work remotely.
Empaxis employees have been trained on our security measures for remote working, and in the case of working remotely, employees would be assigned company-owned devices to perform their work. The devices have been configured and secured to ensure the work is done as it would be in the office.
Should employees be asked to work remotely, Empaxis team members will meet on regularly scheduled conference calls to know exactly what needs to be done each day.
Whether in-office or remote, our team will remain available and accessible to clients.
As we are located in the US, UK, and India, we are following the recommendations and requirements of the countries' respective governments, health and business regulatory agencies.
Empaxis will continue paying close attention to their updates and remain in compliance.
We understand it's a stressful and uncertain time for our clients and the investment community at large.
While we are long-term oriented and thus confident in a return to better days, we acknowledge the challenges of the short term.
That is why we want to assure everyone that we are committed and capable in delivering a smooth and seamless operation for our clients, no matter the circumstances.
On a personal note, we are deeply thankful to the medical teams around the world who are fighting valiantly and tirelessly to treat sick patients and rid the world of this virus.
We ask everyone to continue practicing social distancing, maintaining good sanitary habits, and staying inside as much as possible.
Let's take the necessary measures now so that we may look forward to better times in the not-so-distant future.
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