Kortrijk, Belgium, 20 July 2021 – Barco enters a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic as circumstances and associated restrictions in many parts of the world start to ease. Ensuring safe ways of working remains our main priority, but the local situations for many of our offices make it possible to reactivate in-person activities, in a limited way.
Global response team
Barco’s global response team, set up at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in the first quarter last year, is still active today. Even though it gathers at a lower frequency now, it still keeps a close eye on the pandemic’s status in the different parts of the world and is ready to respond when necessary. The GRT is now focusing mainly on return to office policies and ensuring safe business contacts and travel, for both employees and visitors.
Back to the office
Over the last year, many initiatives have helped employees stay connected to Barco. From regular informal team gatherings to sales summits, virtual and hybrid technology has enabled many moments of connection for our employees. Regular wellbeing surveys made it possible to keep track of possible struggles during the stretches of full-time home office work.
Now, as vaccination ramps up in different parts of the world, we’re moving towards a higher degree of reopening our offices, always in line with local governments’ regulations regarding the pandemic. This does not yet happen at full capacity, so that all colleagues – both white- and blue-collar – can work in a safe environment. Hygiene, social distancing rules and adjusted operational organization in production and repair teams remain in place. We are happy to see colleagues meeting again in person and office floors accommodating employees.
Safety first
Our priority remains Barco being a safe space for both employees and visitors. There are clear rules for Barco employees traveling to other Barco offices, trade fairs or customers. Our offices and experience centers start welcoming small groups of visitors again, for specific purposes. We keep these limited, as guaranteeing everyone’s wellbeing comes in the first place. While we remain alert in our different locations, we feel positive about the new possibilities and are looking with confidence to the future.