Letter to the Troops
Internal company message circulated to SB Simpson Group employees on March 16 at 3:00 PM.
As expected, it’s been an eventful few days in the news and we are all experiencing something that we have never been through before. Leaders everywhere are doing the best they can to navigate this crisis and make smart decisions that factor in the best advice and help people through this challenge.
I understand the uncertainty we face affects people differently, and anxiety can be very high in some. We will get through this together. Just as you would with your family, I encourage everyone to help one another, be understanding, be calm and help people through their anxiety.
Try to keep in mind that the measures that are being taken in our communities and across the country, are being done so to slow the future spread of the virus, and not because the current threat in our communities is high. While this may change over time, the current threat in our daily life remains low.
Both the Premier of Ontario and the Prime Minister made statements today. One common message from them is that the supply chains of the economy must continue to operate so that people can get food and supplies throughout this event. While we play a small part in this concept, our work is important. We have people counting on us to do our part in the supply chain, and I’m proud of that role. For now, there is no indication that there will be a widespread shut down of workplaces. And so we will continue to do our part to keep the economy going.
While doing our jobs to the best of our ability, we should follow the guidelines and advice from the health professionals and heed and observe the measures around social distancing. Keep your distance, sanitize high touch surfaces…and wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands.
I’ll reiterate something the Prime Minister said today – This is a rapidly changing situation, and as it evolves, our response will evolve. Both Michelle and I are constantly monitoring information sources and advice regarding the responsibilities of employers. While we try to think about contingency planning in certain areas, endlessly speculating about different “what if” scenarios is not a helpful use of time and energy. For now, we will manage through this one day at a time. We will adjust as needed and on the advice and recommendation from health professionals and government officials, who I actually think are doing a fairly good job given the trying circumstances.
Thanks for your understanding and for the work that you do every day - be proud of it.
SB Simpson Group Inc. is an AD member in the Industrial & Safety – Canada division.