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How is our business preparing for and managing the risk of COVID-19?

March 16, 2020  |  #Financial Planning

Corona Virus or COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus and we can all play a part in minimising the speed and spread of this illness in our communities.

Invest Blue recognises our responsibility to the communities we live within and have taken additional steps today so we don’t unnecessarily expose clients or our communities to the COVID-19 (Corona) Virus. The advice in this area changes rapidly, but we are acting on the guidelines of Social Distancing. This means reducing the volume of face to face contact, not working in close proximity to one another, and adhering to strict hygiene practices.

 

Summary of actions:
·        Hold client meetings over the phone or video conference 
·        Adopt social distancing practices
·        Continue with strict office hygiene practices
·        Reduce the number of people in our office by having people work remotely
·        Cancel all business-related travel
·        Adhere to government post-travel isolation measures
·        Communicate frequently

Client Meetings

As our offices span over three states, each office is taking the necessary precautions and adhering to local restrictions.

We have the option to hold meetings over the phone or video conference. If you have a meeting scheduled, our Relationship Managers will call and talk through any requirements or alternative arrangements prior to your meeting. Reducing social contact is an important measure to protect our clients and our community.

Our physical offices will remain mostly open and we will have a minimum number of people on site. In order to minimize exposure, we ask that you adopt the standard courtesies of staying away from the office if you are displaying Corona Virus symptoms, have a family member who is, or if you have knowingly had contact with a COVID-19 patient. If it is essential that you come to the office, we have asked our people to avoid handshaking and to keep a distance of 1.5 meters between themselves and any other person.

Distancing in the work environment

Due to the scale of our business and technological capabilities, we are able to conduct the important work we do for you remotely and will have a number of our people working from home offices. This measure is part of our existing Business Continuity Plan and has been tested over many years. Our infrastructure and technology suite ensures privacy and security standards are not jeopardized by this practice.

We have also implemented a work-related travel ban and will be enforcing all government-mandated post-travel isolation measures, including self-isolation after international travel.

Our people will not come into work if they themselves are displaying Corona Virus symptoms, have a family member who is or if they have come into contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Communication

We will continue to provide updates on our work policies, virus impacts and economic news through our digital channels. This is a fast-moving issue and we are monitoring it constantly. You can find the latest information through our App, on our website or in your inbox.

We are here for you

Rest assured that we are not panicked by this situation and that we are able to continue supporting you and your financial plan. We are focused on being proactive and pragmatic in our approach. Our systems and processes are designed to give us the capability to operate during any potential office or location closure.

We will continue to monitor the advice being shared by our government bodies as well as global leaders and take the prudent measures necessary to do what we can to protect our clients, our people and our communities.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss anything mentioned above or any further concerns you may have.

The information about COVID-19 is changing quickly and the best way to stay up to date during this time is by downloading our app in the app store (just search for ‘Invest Blue’) and checking our newsfeed. You can also head straight to the website and monitor our Market Updates and Insights and News pages. For our clients, we recommend you regularly check your emails and ensure your email address and details are up to date with us. You can update your details by emailing itspossible@investblue.com.au.