APTech's Response to COVID-19
Dear clients, associates, colleagues, and friends:
If you are like the vast majority of businesses and organizations, how your organization is responding to the challenge presented by COVID-19 is changing by the day, if not more frequently. I’m certain, however, that you share our sentiment that what’s most important is the health and safety of our employees, our families and friends, and the larger communities in which we live and work. As you’re probably aware, a large part of what Applied Pavement Technology does involves travel: condition surveys, field testing, conference and workshop attendance, project meetings, and training courses are just some of the activities that place our staff in face-to-face contact with you, our clients, our partners, and many communities across the United States and around the world. This interaction has worked well for all of us, but the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought that to a temporary halt.
I’m writing to share with you how APTech is responding to this global emergency. We want to let you know our plans, and assure you that in addition to protecting our employees and helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, if you are a current APTech client we acknowledge the commitment we have to you to meet our contractual responsibilities.
Here are some of the steps we’re taking:
Starting on Tuesday, March 17, and effective until at least April 5, almost all of our staff will be working from home. This action will help to slow the spread of the virus and maximizes our ability to keep our projects moving forward. With today’s connectivity and the nature of our office work, most tasks can be accomplished remotely. The exception, for now, is where we need someone to answer phones, check and process mail, and print and distribute reports. A small number of staff will be spending time in our Urbana and Reno offices where that is required. Rest assured that employees’ emails and phone numbers are still active, and our staff will continue to interact with you as necessary, albeit in a more virtual manner.
All non-essential travel has been postponed or cancelled, including travel by airplane, vehicle, or other modes. For now, this restriction will remain in effect until April 5; it will be revisited and extended, if needed. For now, this travel ban includes fieldwork, because it increases the risk of our employees who pass through airports, stay in hotels, and have to dine out.
Quarantining and Beyond. Employees who have come in contact with someone who is symptomatic, who have traveled to a country with a high rate of infection (e.g., China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, or elsewhere in Europe), or who are sick or have a family member who is sick, have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days in accordance with CDC guidelines.
Where appropriate, we are hoping that necessary interactions between us, both internally and externally, can be accomplished by phone calls, conference calls, or videoconference. We are shoring up our capabilities for online meetings for instances in which this may be appropriate. I also want to assure you that if you need to reach a contact at APTech, we are still open for business and you should be able to reach us either by e-mail, by call to a cell phone, or by calling the office and leaving a voice mail that will be promptly returned.
Otherwise, like you, we will monitor conditions and adjust this guidance as needed. We are hoping that these all are temporary steps which can be relaxed as conditions improve. Needless to say, however, these temporary measures may take a toll on some aspects of our work, including our ability to complete fieldwork accordingly to previously agreed upon schedules. Our Project Managers will be reaching out to all clients to establish revised schedules, if needed, and we appreciate your willingness to work with them to overcome these temporary challenges. They will discuss any other impacts with you as well.
On behalf of the APTech Board of Directors, management, and staff, thank you for your understanding. We are committed to minimizing the impacts of COVID-19 on our work with you, while preserving everyone’s health and safety. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Sincerely,
Monty Wade
APTech President