Temporary Precautionary Measures in effect as of Monday. March 16 th 2020

Dear clients, partners, “New Berliner”, staff and those supporting IRC Berlin.

Several weeks ago, everything still felt in order. In the meantime, the WHO has officially declared Coronavirus a global pandemic and the German government has taken stringent measures, also the City State of Berlin. This is what generally happens in cases that involve exponential growth. Coronavirus is one of those cases as all numbers being collected around the world show.

What is important to understand, we need to adjust our daily habits and routines because they directly relate to the speed of the infection spreading — and we need to do so now. We, as a company, are also the ones who are responsible to keep infection numbers down. The health of our client’s employees, our partners and the IRC Consultant’s team and staff is our top priority. With our decision to close our office we are following the recommendation of the Berlin public health officers to avoid people-to-people contacts.

That’s why we as a company are taking these cautionary measures: 1. No more travel. 2. No Conferences/Events;/Team Meetings: Neither host nor participate. We only hold video meetings/trainings / conferences. 3. Only work from home / Only remote consultation 4. Stay away from any public spaces as much as possible. The Berlin authorities are dealing with the situation and have a partial closure. 5. Avoid public transportation 6. Avoid shaking hands

In general, we are very well prepared for the full remote work scenario, as we have had a chance to learn how to work partly remote during the last years. We are facing a situation that we as a company and as a team have never faced before. But we will do everything that is in our hands to navigate the upcoming. Please support us in doing so during the next weeks. If we all change our behaviour and act responsibly we can have a positive impact on the crisis itself. And additionally, if we all together, as a team do our best to navigate this crisis, we are extremely confident that we can come out of this crisis stronger than before.

We are experiencing a more supportive and genuine “WE” feeling in our community and amongst our competitors. This alone has been the most heart-warming experience in this very trying time. We hope you understand our preventive safety measures and we look forward to a brighter and healthier future. Thank you.

In this spirit, act now but stay calm and healthy!

Niklas & Ariane Almerood with the whole IRC Team