The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has a huge impact on all of us. Exactly how far-reaching its consequences will be is impossible to predict at this time. The current situation leads to uncertainty and calls for flexibility and pragmatism in looking for solutions to new challenges and dilemmas. This page tells you how we are dealing with this situation, for instance in terms of our service provision.
At BDO, we are doing everything in our power to ensure that our people, clients and suppliers are safe. Their health, safety and well-being are our first priorities. We closely follow the recommendations and guidelines of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Dutch acronym: RIVM) and the measures taken by the Dutch government. We might even go beyond their recommendations and guidelines if we see fit. We review new information and decide how to follow it up on a day-to-day basis. In this context, we have created a designated Corona Team, consisting of colleagues from different echelons of the organisation, including the Management Board. The members of this team keep everyone at the firm up-to-date on BDO’s policies on the corona crisis and they are on hand to answer questions. As an organisation, we are prepared for any measures we need to take with regard to our continuity.
We acknowledge our responsibility as an employer. Our people work from home where they can and they try to reschedule appointments with clients or other business relations, or change them into phone appointments. International business trips have been cancelled or postponed and colleagues are advised against travelling abroad for private reasons at this time unless they absolutely have to.
We are fortunate to have at our disposal a robust platform of digital communication facilities and tools that allows us to operate as a team even when we work from home. We have temporarily provided those colleagues who did not have the facilities to work from home with the proper tools to do so.
We are also mindful of the challenges faced by some of our people, for instance those who have children and are trying to combine their work and care duties. We engage in a dialogue with them to accommodate their needs as much as possible. BDO also offers psychological support to employees who need it.
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus and to keep our people, clients and business relations safe, all our internal and external meetings, such as client events, courses and internal consultations, have been cancelled until 1 September at the earliest.
BDO acknowledges and takes ownership of its social responsibility, aimed at the continuity of our service provision to our clients and suppliers. With this in mind, we are doing everything we can to ensure the continuity of our service provision. As mentioned, our people have all the tools they need to provide their services to our clients and they interact closely with them. It goes without saying that confidentiality and data protection are guaranteed in this process.
If services are to be provided that cannot be postponed and cannot be provided by phone or remotely, we will engage personally with the client in question so as to resolve the issue in mutual consultation.
We have also defined a number of basic principles. The first is that we treat our clients and suppliers with respect. In doing so, we show understanding and are accommodating, for instance when it comes to contracts, billing and payment deadlines. We operate from a common and shared interest, based on a balanced sharing of the burden for everyone involved, in these difficult times that have no precedent.
In this crisis, our long-standing relations outweigh any short-term considerations that may come up. We are committed to serving as a strong and trustworthy partner that our clients and business relations can rely on and we would be happy to be of service to them in these exceptional circumstances. As they have come to expect from us, we will continue to go the extra mile for them. We have created a special page on our website with information for organisations and businesses that will help them during this corona crisis. We have put together a special team of experts to support them. And of course our clients are always invited to get in touch with their contact person at BDO if they have any questions.
We have every confidence that we will weather this storm together. For now, please look after yourself and each other.