Intel’s top priority in managing the coronavirus situation is protecting the health and well-being of employees while keeping the business running for our customers. Last week, Intel CFO George Davis addressed the topic at a Morgan Stanley conference, saying that although it remains a developing situation, the company continues to operate on a relatively normal basis around the world, including manufacturing-related operations in Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, and California in the U.S., and in Ireland, Israel and China.
In a message to employees, Intel CEO Bob Swan acknowledged employee efforts to keep the business running for Intel customers, writing:
“We wouldn’t be able to manage this challenging situation effectively without the help of our entire Intel family. Thank you for supporting each other throughout the past few weeks and for being understanding of the unusual demands this situation has placed upon many of our sites and people. We will continue to put our employees’ welfare and customers’ needs front and center in all our decision-making. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. I am very proud of how we are living our One Intel values.”
The company has taken the following measures to care for its direct and indirect workforce and to ensure business continuity throughout the developing situation:
- Work-from-home and social distancing policies: We have recommended our employees work-from-home if their roles allow. In order to safeguard our manufacturing and other employees that will continue to work on-site, we have instituted social distancing policies. For example, we are reducing the seating capacity in cafeterias and limiting in-person meeting attendance. We first put these policies in place at our sites in China, and they have helped keep our employees safe and our operations running.
- Keeping hourly workers whole: We are continuing to pay-in-full Intel’s hourly workers. For at least the next two months, this policy also extends to hourly workers employed by Intel service partners around the world, regardless of changes to service levels due to our remote-work and social distancing policies.
- Benefits updates: Employees and contractors asked to work from home or self-quarantine due to travel restrictions will be paid their regular pay, and Intel will reimburse up to 15 days of care services for employees who need backup childcare and/or elder care in the case where there are school or care center closures or if an employee or family member is required to be self-quarantined due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Increased cleaning of Intel facilities: Intel offices will remain open to support the large number of Intel’s global workforce who work in labs and factories critical to so much of our world’s digital infrastructure. At Intel, maintaining clean and safe facilities is core to how we operate. As an extra precaution, we have contracted for additional and sustained several-times-daily cleaning of Intel facilities around the world.
In addition, Intel is applying its technology and expertise to help better understand and combat the virus. For example, Intel and Lenovo have teamed up with Beijing-based BGI Genomics to accelerate the analysis of genomic characteristics of COVID-19. Our combined work will further advance the capabilities of BGI’s sequencing tools to help scientists investigate transmission patterns of the virus and create better diagnostic methods. Intel will continue to look for opportunities to assist our partners and customers in this urgent and important work.
Intel’s Pandemic Leadership Team, in partnership with Intel’s Corporate Emergency Operations Center, is closely monitoring any changes in the global environment. This specialized team of medical, safety and operational experts was established more than 15 years ago to lead Intel through global health situations like the one we are navigating now. The team’s focus is to safeguard the well-being of employees and minimize the spread of infection by partnering with local governments and public health organizations and following their recommendations. In the past, the team has successfully helped Intel manage through global health issues such as bird flu, SARS, Ebola, Zika and H1N1 virus.
Intel will continue to evolve our response and keep our employees informed with their safety and well-being as the top priority.
