The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on Mar 11, 2020, as it was causing a huge impact on peoples’ lives, families and communities, with millions falling sick or succumbing to this viral disease, globally. The pandemic has also presented a significant existential challenge for people as well as organizations all over the world because lockdown across countries to prevent the spread of the disease has created an economic crisis as all kinds of businesses have been shut down except those producing bare essentials.
Stock markets have crashed, businesses have filed bankruptcy and countries in emerging economies are struggling to provide for the underprivileged. In the face of this evolving global meltdown, organizations needed to respond quickly to help protect their workers and their bottom lines.
With the ever-evolving yet fluid situation, Interloop took immediate actions to keep its people safe & healthy during this global crisis by assessing organizational exposure, positioning itself to appropriately support key stakeholders, including employees and customers.
Interloop worked on a 3 pronged approach to combat COVID-19 at its end:
Awareness: Educate the People
-At all Interloop manufacturing plants and offices, awareness sessions were conducted, standees & posters were displayed, online communications were sent to all staff, and regular announcements were made through the Public Address System, by HR & EHS teams, creating understanding about COVID-19 and its prevention
-Interloop, as the immediate step, assured that all hygiene procedures & protective protocols, advised by the government, were adopted and followed throughout the company, diligently
Communication: Inform the People
-For the safekeeping of our people, a complete guideline on travel advisory was implemented within the company
-Precise quarantine instructions were provided to employees & their families keeping in mind their health & safety during the crisis
-An extraordinary leave policy was approved for the employees
-In case of virus symptoms detected in any employee, company-paid testing facility was offered for quarantined employees
-For any medical emergency, on-site doctor was available at every plant and his/her contact detail was recirculated among employees through email
-A regular communication flow was maintained from the CEO to the employees regarding the developing situation and taking self-care measures for people’s safety
-A cross-functional COVID-19 response team was formed and a dedicated helpline was set-up to address any issues faced by the employees
Control Measures: Save the People
-EHS & Support Services regulatory task forces ensured implementation of all approved mandatory protocols & their continuity, including installation of hand sanitizers at multiple locations inside company/plants premises within easy access of employees and regular fumigation was carried out across all offices & factories for mass sanitization of the work floors
-SOPs were developed for security staff and gate control, provision of gloves, visitors’ protocol and symptoms screening points were set up at all entrances of the company as a strict measure of safety implementing
-Interloop closed its Hosiery, Spinning, Dyeing, Denim, Knitwear, and Active Wear Plants and Corporate Offices following the lockdown directives of the government
-Online and Digital tools, constant updates and Work From Home protocols were put in place by the MIS team so that the executive staff could work effectively from the safety of their homes. All staff was advised to follow the safety and social distancing guidelines communicated by the company
-A complete SOP was put in place and all preventive hygiene measures are being exercised on partial resumption of operations. Same will be followed on recommencement of full operations
Community Initiatives
-Fulfilling our social responsibility, Interloop has earmarked PKR 60 million to support the communities and will further enhance the contribution as per the growing requirement
-To ensure that our frontline doctors & medical staff were properly equipped and protected, Interloop has provided 100,000 masks to National Disaster Management Authority, and PPEs & Equipment to various hospitals in Faisalabad and Lahore
-We have partnered with Nestle Pakistan and Interloop Welfare Trust has donated 50,000 liters of milk for the people in need
-To help the underprivileged who are unable to earn their livelihood due to lockdown, Interloop has provided food hampers to 15,000 deserving families in Faisalabad and Kasur districts.
Interloop intends to take further measures as the situation unfolds in the coming days to manage Peoples’ Wellbeing. Our business is in a strong position and we have durable strategies in place to deal with this incredible challenge. We employ around twenty three thousand people and protecting their livelihood is one of our foremost priorities. We believe that to be effective, public health measures must be implemented with full engagement of all members of the society, and should be accompanied with clear and fair communication to enable people to make informed decisions to protect themselves and help achieve the public health goal of controlling this outbreak.
With the blessing of God Almighty, responsible and bold decisions of Interloop management and dedication of Interloop’s People, We will Face it Together!
