Company Update May 3, 2020
The country’s slow return to work continues as the CoV-19 pandemic wanes in much of the nation, including Michigan and Alabama. I am now very confident all Bridgewater plants will resume operations sometime this month. Warmer weather is making it more difficult for many to remain consistently sheltered in their homes and to maintain social distancing. Please remain aware of, and adhere to, all guidance from public health and government officials in your area. We have come a long way toward taming the virus within our ranks; it would be terrible to see any regression.
By now you’ve all received the return to work trifold I referenced in previous weeks. All salary team members have had an opportunity to communicate with their plant manager for an update on company planning details. Select other communications are also occurring, and skeleton crews have returned to the plants to accelerate preparations. We’re getting there.
Nearing the end of this shutdown is an optimal opportunity for me to hold up the great work of our people managers, the human resources team. In my Apr 3 update I noted their work was one of the three primary workstreams we undertook immediately at shutdown. This was quite deliberate, as maintaining a focus on caring for our employees is always a primary focus at the company. Maintaining strong communications and being available to assist employees facing tremendous life disruption was paramount to successfully navigating the challenge, and the HR team responded.
Lead by company vice president Elaine Tingle, our HR managers – Tracy Jones, Vince Jones, Debra Tyson, LaTora Walker, and, often, Diahann Moore – have begun each workday with a coordination call to review the latest CoV-19 updates from federal and state officials, their likely impact on restart timing, and, increasingly, the changing rules and regulations around relief and safety efforts such as unemployment insurance, CARES Act, and OSHA.
This team’s ‘to do’ list was long, and recurring:
- Return-to-work preparedness.
- Assisting with new process development across the Bridgewater plants and in coordination with the Adient network.
- Re-designing HR practices for the ‘new normal.’
- Development of HR content for the new individual plant websites (see my update of last week).
- Benchmarking best practices for new safety protocols with other companies and across the Adient enterprise.
- Taking on responsibility for submitting payroll information, which must be done weekly regardless how many people are working, while the finance team has been on layoff.
Most important in my view, however, has been the HR team’s assistance to employees with CoV-19 concerns, unemployment issues, and general employee follow-up. It sounds straightforward, but requires a huge commitment of time and attention. Further, that attention must come from people who can empathize with and be compassionate about the challenges employees are facing outside of work. At one point, the team was tracking nearly 40 employees either infected, sick and presumed infected, or exposed and quarantining. Contacting family members. Updating tracking reports for senior management. Directing employees and families to resources. Daily. A tremendous contribution.
We want to be a great company. That starts with being great at people management. Throughout the pandemic shutdown, the performance of our HR management team has highlighted how so much of our consistent success at Bridgewater is rooted in their work. Great job, all.
On to the updates rundown:
Production:
- Still nothing certain on restart dates. Nothing before May 11. Most are tentatively planning for May 18.
- Honda: still tracking for May 11.
- GM: now tentatively May 18, for both programs.
- RECARO: tentative for May 11.
- Ford: tentative for May 18.
- FCA: tentative. They’re pushing for May 11, but I’m skeptical; more likely May 18.
Health:
I’m confident enough we are near the end of shutdown that I will share some to-date summary numbers about impact to the Bridgewater workforce:
Confirmed positive: 20
Presumed positive, no test taken: 1
Self-quarantined: 153
Hospitalizations: 9
Deaths: 2
One team member remains hospitalized. We continue to be in touch with the family, and to pray for a full recovery.
Safety:
No new information.
Be well, and keep safe.
Ron
Ronald E. Hall
President & CEO