We are a company with more than 70 000 employees in stores, distribution centers and offices all over Poland. Covid-19 pandemic was a crisis that fell unexpectedly on everyone and has been a reason for great anxiety over one’s personal safety, financial stability as well as feeling of uncertainty regarding the future.
As a responsible employer we always feel great commitment towards the whole Biedronka team. Therefore, in the time of crisis, we have primarily focused on: guaranteeing personal and family safety to our employees, securing their financial stability and recognizing their continuous effort through the pandemic. Communication was one of our greatest challenges as we needed to instantly adopt new tools and channels while modifying our communication flow according to the constantly changing pandemic situation and state regulations in an ambiguous environment. We assumed proximity as our communication pillar – being close to our employees, listening to them and being responsive to their needs and fears.
Moreover, as an essential business we always go to all lengths to take all actions in line with our social mission – guaranteeing Polish consumers incessant access to indispensable products. Thus, our focus during the pandemic was also to fulfill our mission at all times to ensure the sense of stability to Polish society as well as reinforce the understanding of this important mission among our employees and recognize their essential social role.
Agnieszka Sokołowska i Jarosław Sobczyk
Jeronimo Martins Poland
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, in Jeronimo Martins Polska we first and foremost focused on guaranteeing maximum personal safety to our employees while ensuring business continuity in line with Biedronka’s social mission. We swiftly introduced essential safety measures adjusted to work environments of our stores, distribution centers and offices as well as equipped our staff with required tools such as face masks or sanitizers. Apart from personal safety measures, we also immediately recognized the need to ensure to Biedronka’s employees financial stability and family protection in the times of great uncertainty. Thus, within the financial sphere, we showed much agility with our reward system, granting salary increases and additional bonuses to store and DCs employees in recognition of their exceptional effort. Furthermore, we provided possibilities for our employees and their family members to run Covid-19 tests sponsored by the company. Since May 2021 (at the very first moment it was allowed and approved by the Polish state) Biedronka has introduced a vaccination program for its employees. Within the program, employees willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 are entitled to do that for free through external medical suppliers cooperating with Biedronka. In the prolonged time of children staying at home and taking digital lessons, we supported parents by launching a new social program that equipped our employees with laptops and computers for their children. Recognizing wellbeing as main of the areas of challenge for our staff, we have been also carrying out a program offering access to digital physical exercise, meditation and psychology-related content.
As far as communication is concerned, in the context of constantly changing state regulations in the first months of the pandemic, continuous, instant and transparent two-way communication played a crucial role. Apart from using standard communication channels we have immediately launched a dedicated call center where employees could report their doubts, questions and remarks regarding the pandemic-related issues. What proved especially useful and effective during the crisis communication was chiefly our digital channels (our website for employees currently has ca. 2 million views monthly) that enabled us to contact our Biedronka team directly and in real time, including newly launched, innovative chatbot for our employees which provided great support in addressing their questions and doubts in the times of increased communication flow.
In terms of recognition, apart from financial rewards and social support programs, we have also recognized our employees via additional activities i.a. we launched a Poland-wide marketing campaign recognizing key role of essential workers in stores and distribution centers during the pandemic and expressing gratitude for an exceptional effort and contribution made by the whole Biedronka team. At the beginning of 2021 we also organized an exceptional online New Year live event for 70 000 Biedronka’s employees to thank them for the hard and challenging year, give them the sense of belonging and a possibility to celebrate together.
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