Activating Business Continuity Planning Strategies Globally

The following email was sent today to all Goldman Sachs employees.
 

As we learn new information about COVID-19, we are focused first and foremost on offering our Goldman Sachs community the full extent of the firm’s support.  This sustained period of change and uncertainty is weighing on everyone, and we want to assure you that we will continue to take all the necessary steps to support you and your families.  

Next week, we will fully activate our business continuity planning (BCP) strategies related to the virus on a global, cross-divisional basis.  As a firm, we have been preparing for this eventuality for some time, and we believe it is the right moment for us to take this decisive step to protect our people. 

In practice, this means that, effective Monday, March 16, the firm will operate across separate teams and locations, with the goal of reducing the density of people in our offices at any one time.  This plan will go into effect without exception across divisions in the Americas and EMEA, and will be in addition to the plans already in place across Asia Pacific, including India.   We are activating these measures out of an abundance of caution and until further notice. 

Depending on the nature of your role and your division, you will either:

• Work from an assigned fixed location, which means you will work from one of our main buildings or a BCP site without rotation and until further notice; or
• Work as an assigned member of a Blue or White team that will alternate weekly between working from one of our main offices and from home. Blue teams will be in the office the week of March 16, with White teams working from home, and vice versa the week of March 23 – alternating thereafter.

Specific instructions will be communicated by business and location.  It is of the utmost importance that all of our people strictly adhere to their team’s BCP approach to maintain social distancing in order to protect all of us.

The course of the virus remains uncertain, and circumstances will continue to change.  Against this evolving backdrop, we continue to work closely with business leaders across divisions, regions and offices to ensure we are taking a flexible and responsive approach to meet the needs of our teams and our clients.  We also ask that you maintain open lines of communication with your manager, so as to ensure you understand your responsibilities under your team’s BCP strategy and escalate any concerns. 

We are doing all we can to support your health and wellness, and similarly we ask that you also take several measures to protect each other and our families:

• If you don’t feel well, even if you have mild symptoms, you must stay home and seek medical attention as appropriate
• You must wash your hands frequently
• Avoid physical contact, including handshakes, with colleagues, clients and more generally
• Limit the size of gatherings with your colleagues to no more than 20 people

As we move forward, we are very conscious that adapting our routines on a global scale represents a significant change for all of us in how we work, interact with each other and serve our clients.  We are confident that we will navigate through this period together.

As always, we appreciate your focus, drive and tenacity during this period of heightened uncertainty – your commitment to our culture of client service, teamwork and excellence continues to differentiate our firm.

David M. Solomon
John E. Waldron
Stephen M. Scherr