In this article, we give answers to the most common questions we receive from our stakeholders about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Ericsson is closely monitoring the development around the novel coronavirus and follows recommendations from relevant national authorities and international bodies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The responsibility for the health and safety of employees, customers and other stakeholders is the company’s top priority.
This is a challenging situation and as a global company with around 100,000 employees and presence in 180 countries, we are aware of our responsibilities towards the communities where we operate. Ericsson is taking precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of employees, to minimize the impact on the company’s operations and to prevent further spreading of the novel coronavirus.
Our approach is to be transparent towards our different stakeholders about the measures we take and how Ericsson is impacted by the developments. On this page, we give answers to the most common questions we receive from our stakeholders and we strive to keep the information up to date.
Listen to SVP, Stella Medlicott, on Ericsson’s corona response
What travel restrictions has Ericsson implemented?
As of February 25, Ericsson restricted non-essential business travel globally. As of February 27, Ericsson implemented guidelines for private travel. Each employee is required to follow instructions from local authorities and discuss their return to work with their manager before returning to the office.
Does Ericsson intend to hold its Annual General Meeting as planned on March 31?
Ericsson plans to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders 2020 as scheduled at 3:00 pm CEST on March 31, 2020, but will take precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of our shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. Due to the risk for spreading of the virus, Ericsson has decided to limit the scope of the meeting and the presence of Board members and management will be limited.
More information about this year’s AGM can found here.
Has Ericsson closed any offices?
During normal circumstances, most of Ericsson’s office workers have the opportunity to work remotely and we have the IT environment to do so in a good way. Decisions about recommending or requiring employees to work remotely are made per site or country and is usually made in coordination with local authorities. Ericsson currently has a large number of employees working from home globally.
Has Ericsson closed any production facilities?
As of today, all Ericsson’s main production sites are up and running.
In line with recommendations from the Chinese authorities, Ericsson’s production site in China was closed until February 9, but has been open since February 10.
What is the impact on Ericsson’s supply chain?
All main Ericsson production sites are currently in operation. Ericsson continues to follow the situation of the Novel Coronavirus and recommendation from the local authorities and WHO, as the company assesses its supply chain. Our prediction remains for Q1, that we will see limited to no impact on our customers. For Q2 2020, our assessment remains that we can cover currently forecasted demands, taking into account known implications and expected outcome from mitigations made following the outbreak.
Ericsson has a global supply chain set up, which ensures the company works close to customers through its European, Asian and American operations. Our main production facilities are in the US, Brazil, Mexico, India, China, Poland and Estonia.
How does Ericsson oversee the development and make crisis management decisions?
As a global company, we have a process and organizational set-up to deal with potential issues that our company may face, both to ensure the health and safety our employees and to minimize impact on our operations. Ericsson’s Group Crisis Management Council is responsible for the handling of major incidents or crises.
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