COVID-19 UK Company Update

Dear all,

With the announcement made by the UK government last night to enforce restrictions on non-critical movement, it has become clear that our ability to continue operations in the UK is no longer possible.

Clearly this decision aligns the UK with the actions already taken by France, Spain and Italy – similar to the approach taken earlier in the year in China.

What does this mean?

With immediate effect, actions are being taken to close Lowestoft, Kidderminster and Minehead.  Whilst our priority is the protection of our people, the business unit leaders will be working with the local teams to ensure a measured approach to the closure of each site.

In terms of the Head Office, whilst the majority of people are already working from home, the Studio Building will be locked by the end of today with no further access allowed.

How long will this last?

At this point as you might imagine, it is very difficult to give any assurances about timescales. It is important to note that we expected the closure of Le Mans to be for two weeks but at this stage, we have no real confidence about our ability to reopen as planned.  Our actions will, of course, be led by the advice and guidance offered by the Government and we will keep you updated accordingly.  For this reason, it is critical that everyone stays connected and has a means of communication with their line manager to enable the flow of information.

Will people be paid?

This is a very stressful period for everyone and a situation that no one has experienced or even contemplated.  Fears about income add to this stress and we can see that Governments in Europe are looking at ways to support their economies by protecting incomes and employment.

Some countries such as France and the UK have communicated their policies and Colart will seek government support where possible.  The challenge that we foresee is that there is no clarity as yet from any Government about how and when reimbursement will be made and for how long the situation will last.

All we can do is focus on the short term and for this reason, we would like to reassure everyone that our aim is to ensure everyone in Colart is paid as normal though, if the situation continues beyond a sustainable period, we will be forced to review the situation.  Our challenge will be to find the balance that protects the business whilst supporting our people

Knowing how critical this question is, we will continue to communicate fully as the situation evolves.

What about the US?

At this point in time, we are still operational in the US DC though everyone in a support role has been directed to work from home.  Recognising that this is a challenging situation, we are staying very close to the direction of the local Government to ensure that the safety of our DC colleagues is not compromised.  Strict adherence to the safety protocols whilst on site are key to this protection and will continue to apply.

We would like to stress the importance of following the safety protocols for everyone in Colart and your families: As a reminder please visit this site for further information on how to ensure protection against infection.

Any questions?

We understand this is a difficult situation for everyone and we will work over the coming days to communicate as much information locally in the business units to ensure people understand what is happening and what they need to do.  In the meantime, should you have any questions or concerns about the current situation please:

• Talk to your line manager
• Send an email to people@colart.com giving your contact details so that your local HR business partner can contact you as soon as possible
• Post the question on the new Q&A platform

Finally, please stay connected and STAY SAFE

Regards,

Jane Beeston

Chief People Officer