National Grid: Making a difference during the COVID-19 outbreak
COVID-19: Our members taking responsible business action
As the world tackles COVID-19, National Grid employees are working hard to make sure the lights stay on and the gas keeps flowing.
“We are aiming to provide practical, focused resources, training and support to both leaders and employees to help them manage themselves and others through this situation. Focusing on the areas they are in control of, and providing practical guidance to help manage our people’s wellbeing.”
Rachael Davidson, General Counsel, National Grid Ventures & Group Assurance
Keeping the workforce safe during COVID-19
National Grid have hundreds of people working on sites across the country in a huge variety of roles. Roles that just can not be done at home. Whether it is construction work, maintenance, repairs or operating control centres, it is important that their work continues where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
At a time when everyone is being asked to stay at home wherever possible, it is understandable that it can be unnerving to see others going about their daily work.
National Grid’s workers who need to continue working on site and in the community have implemented a series of measures to protect not just themselves but also the communities in which they operate.
Taking a holistic approach
National Grid understand that during this time of crisis, looking after mental wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing with many other factors playing a significant role in overall wellbeing. With a workforce spread across so many sites as well as a sizeable proportion of workers working from home, communications and resources need to be accessed in a variety of ways.
Highlighting a different topic every two weeks, they are focussing on the following areas:
- remote and home working
- caring and loneliness
- physical health and mental wellbeing whilst home working or in isolation, with practical guidance
- increased guidance and resources for leaders to support their teams.
They are also emphasising the role of leadership by rolling out a leadership training programme on resilience which will increase capacity and enable managers to better support their staff.
Rachael Davidson, General Counsel, National Grid Ventures & Group Assurance, said: “Everyone is experiencing a large scale and fast moving change process at the moment. With many employees potentially feeling little or no control within their home or work lives.
“We are aiming to provide practical, focused resources, training and support to both leaders and employees to help them manage themselves and others through this situation. Focussing on the areas they are in control of, and providing practical guidance to help manage our people’s wellbeing.”
WHAT IF ALL BUSINESSES CAME TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE ESCALATING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19?
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