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Putting yourself in the shoes of another is often described as being at the heart of empathy. To have empathy means that we are able to understand how another person is feeling just by using our imagination to experience that feeling.
So, why am I talking about empathy….in the world of COVID-19 we have all been experiencing all sorts of feelings:
1: “I feel as if I am struggling at the moment as my ability to work from home is not great compared to the office. It’s fine for a day or 2 but for longer periods, it is tough”
2: “I don’t have the option to work from home and I have to go in every day – some of us live with vulnerable people but we can’t stay at home.”
3: “Sure it seems fine that I stay home but I have no purpose, I miss my friends and I don’t know how long this is last. I’m worried”
4: “Trying to balance the pressures of not only an increasingly heavy workload but also demands at home is hard – I don’t know where the work-life ends and home life begins”
Powerful statements aren’t they…especially as they are real quotes taken from the survey completed earlier in the year. Whilst a small example, these quotes show challenges can exist for all of us whether we are working remotely, continuing to work on-site or have been furloughed. No one situation is ideal or a better option.
Only by being non-judgemental about the experiences of others can we fully appreciate how everyone has played their part in the successful way Colart has coped with the COVID challenges …. regardless of the part played. We are proud of the empathy shown in Colart and this growing sense of family is vital to sustaining the Colart Culture.
As we have already said, we will continue with our hybrid way of working through a mix of remote and office working for certain roles and normal on-site working for others. Maintaining our sense of inclusion and connection to each other plays an important part as well as continuing our focus on supporting the physical safety and wellbeing of everyone in Colart …no matter where we work.
Refining safety and wellbeing…
When we talk about your physical safety, this is not just about ensuring your safety at work today but also tomorrow. To do this we started preparing over the last few months an ambitious plan to create a virus-proof working environment. This plan will look at all areas across Colart and will build upon some of the excellent work that has already taken place to introduce automatic doors, new layouts incorporating physical distancing and enhanced personal protection. We are at the beginning of the journey and by the end of 2020, we will have reached about 40% of our total planned investments which is estimated at being about £500,000.
Knowing that we have seen a further two cases of COVID-19 in Le Mans this week (both contracted outside work), shows us the absolute value of minimising the potential of transmission whilst at work.
Of course, we care not only about your body but also your mind and soul and for this reason, we have been working with the Wellbeing Ambassadors across the group to rethink our Wellbeing strategy in our new world of work that includes both remote and on-site working. Some great ideas have been put forward and we are looking at how they can be activated across the business. We will dedicate a future communication on this subject so that you all know more.
Our mantra…
As always, STAY SAFE – please take care of yourself (in all ways), get creative (remember the Wall and the Think Tank if you have some good ideas to share. We aim for Colart to have an open culture whereby every voice can be heard…so please keep talking to us using all routes available to you
1. Your line manager
2. Your local HRBP
3. The Q&A platform on the intranet
With a combined mindset of resilience and determination, the Colart Family will continue to successfully navigate together any challenges thrown at us.
Regards,
Jane Beeston