The COVID-19 pandemic arrived with as much surprise and uncertainty as it did chaos and confusion. Companies scrambled to make sense of the jarring national closure putting people’s livelihoods into question. Determining who would be considered essential, beyond the obvious front-line hospital workers, was a much-needed answer for those working in the life sciences, where scientists are depended upon to research and develop necessary medicines. But beyond the lab bench are additional operational jobs that are equally essential.
DENS focused on the management of Life Sciences facilities that qualified as an essential service during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. We led by example during this period, demonstrating compassion, professionalism, unwavering service, and resilience.
100% Job Retention and Growth
Like many companies, ensuring the safety of their employees, clients, contractors, and visitors would be the first step to continuing to work during the pandemic.
However, unlike many companies within the facility services industry, DENS proudly provided uninterrupted service for clients and job availability to all DENS staff. It wasn’t without tireless efforts and creativity but DENS proudly retained all employees throughout the pandemic.
In fact, while other companies within the facility services industry were reducing staff, we grew our client base and employee headcount throughout 2020 and 2021.
So, how did we do it?
A Well-Laid Plan
At the center of our COVID-19 Operations and Control Plan and you’ll find a commitment to open and honest communication. The DENS corporate culture fosters transparency and 360-degree feedback across all levels of the organization.
Key Elements for DENS’ Successful Business Continuity
- Employees were encouraged to play an active role in risk assessments and mitigation (e.g., social distancing, proper sanitization & hygiene, and PPE)
- Management acquired PPE and went above and beyond by fit testing 30 employees with P100 filtered respirators. (It is important to note these respirators had been originally procured for efficacy and knowing that their use in a healthcare setting would be limited)
- Proactively identified exposures and placed necessary colleagues into quarantine
- Regular communication was disseminated across the organization ensuring all staff, regardless of level or title, were aware of the game plan.
A Caring Approach, Sincerely
We are guided by our legacy principles with solid corporate values that include commitment, partnership, excellence, and ethics. This challenging period gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our values in action and solidify our commitment to our clients and employees.
We Took Care of Our Essential Employees
- Instituting an Essential Personnel Pay Differential of $2.50/hour to field-based staff when working on-site
- Pre-releasing year-end bonuses to staff
- Offering two weeks paid sick leave (as part of the Family First Act)
- Offering paid time off for employees needing to take care of school-age children
- Paid for training opportunities through the DENS Online University and other training partners
- Providing unlimited data and hotspot capability to all employees on their cell phones to share while at home
- Offering a $100 cash bonus to all staff who presented their completed COVID-19 vaccination record.
Coming Out Stronger Than Ever
Through all its efforts, we were able to affirm our commitment to our employees. The result was an engaged workforce throughout the pandemic. And, the output of work for our clients never wavered.
An all-hands-on-deck approach to fulfill commitments to clients was adopted and opportunities to prove our value to clients happened regularly. We remained a dependable and flexible partner as everyone navigated the pandemic in parallel.
COVID-19 forced all industries and companies to think differently. Those who were quick and nimble are emerging as success stories. We are an example of a success story during the pandemic.
Blog Comments