"At P&G, we often talk about being a force for good and a force for growth…meaning that we want to have a positive impact on the people we serve, the communities we live and work in, and the broader world that surrounds us all while delivering the business. I can think of no time when this has been more important than right now.
As COVID-19 has spread around the world, we established three clear priorities:
- Protect the health and well-being of our employees and our workplaces;
- Continue to serve the needs of our consumers and deliver our business;
- Provide support to communities, relief agencies and people around the world.
Simply stated, our commitment is that P&G will be there for employees, consumers and communities who have always been there for us.
To protect employees, we have implemented remote work and social distancing measures. We’re reducing the density of the employee population at our sites. We’re limiting travel and holding employee meetings virtually. For our manufacturing plants and distribution centers, where work from home is not an option for most of our employees, we’re taking preventive measures that allow these facilities to continue to operate safely, protecting the health and safety of our employees.
Just as we are committed to employee and workplace safety, we are equally committed to serving the needs of our consumers in a responsible way. During times like this, people count on the benefits and availability of our products given the cleaning, hygiene and health benefits many of them provide. Please know that we’re working diligently to meet increased demand in this highly dynamic situation.
Finally, as many of you know, P&G has a long history of supporting our communities in times of need all around the world. This time is no different, though the scale is likely going to be more significant than any other time of need in P&G’s 180-year-plus history.
Since the onset of the outbreak, we have been working with our long-standing partner organizations to understand how P&G and our brands, such as Always, Ariel, Crest, Gillette, H&S, Ivory, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Secret and Vicks, can best provide support to communities, relief agencies and people impacted by this extraordinary situation.
To date, we have made and are making in-kind product and monetary donations collectively valued at more than US $5 million to provide hygiene education, vital medical equipment and products for those who are most vulnerable and for individuals on the frontlines assisting those who are impacted.
This includes donations and support in places like China, Italy, Korea, the U.S. and Canada, working with partners like Feeding America, Direct Relief, Americares, Global Medic, the Red Cross, the China Youth Development Foundation, the Korea Disaster Relief Association, the United Way, and more.
We’ve also established an employee matching gift program. P&G people have a long history of giving generously in time like these, and I have heard from many employees that they are looking for ways to help.
While these are all important steps, they are likely only the start of what will be needed. There’ll be more to come, and we’re committed to keeping all our stakeholders updated on P&G’s plans and actions.
I want to thank P&G people everywhere for everything they are doing to help each other, our business, our consumers and our communities. It’s through the work of P&G people that we're able to make a positive difference in the world and be a force for good and a force for growth in all we do.
And, as we all personally adjust to this unprecedented situation, P&G people will continue to focus on serving the needs of all our stakeholders, including supporting those who are most vulnerable and who continue to work on the frontlines of this crisis."
By David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO at Procter & Gamble.
