The health and safety of our staff, clients, readers and colleagues are paramount during the novel coronavirus outbreak. Our staff has been working remotely without issue from early March 2020, and our industry-leading content continues to be created and distributed. Like you, we continue to monitor the situation, and respond based on best-practices recommended by provincial, federal and international health authorities.

Here are some of the steps we have taken:

Travel and events: While largely cancelled between March 2020 and September 2021, business travel and events, both within and outside Canada, are resuming to the level at which our various staff are comfortable. We expect this to be at a pre-COVID pace by late spring 2022.

Working options: As of March 2020, all non-printing and payroll work has been performed remotely, representing 95% of our workforce. Our solutions are cloud based, and most staff already had the process and communication tools to work remotely: That transition was swift and smooth. Offices have remained open at all times for those staff requiring them or needing a break from remote work, and we expect to launch a new hybrid Work 4.0 by March 21, 2022 that will see most of our staff on-site on a rotating basis.

Health & Safety: Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are widely available throughout our offices. We currently require masking with medical or KN95 grade masks for all staff except when in closed offices by themselves. We have encouraged best practices regarding distancing and personal protection, widely recognized as the best way to slow the spread of coronavirus, and conduct regular rapid testing as supplies permit. Ventilation has been increased in all locations. Work 4.0 includes density management.

Printing: Our printing operations have been split over two isolated shifts and re-configured to dramatically reduce density and cross-contamination. All touch points are sanitized between and during shifts, and break spaces spread out to drive social distancing well beyond 2 m. Masks are required at all times.

Future operations: Annex strongly believes that effective vaccination is a key to returning to some semblance of normal, and encourages all employees to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

The above steps have resulted in a near-zero transmission rate at Annex facilities and events. We will continue to respond to this evolving situation with calm professionalism as required to ensure the safety of our employees, clients and partners. Agility has been a key Annex value for all of its 25+ years of existence. It will be key over the coming months.

We are committed to providing readers and clients with the same high level of content and marketing solutions they are used to receiving. We also have your own challenges top of mind throughout this crisis, and hope you can manage it with minimal disruption. We are here to help. Stay well.

Scott Jamieson, Chief Operating Officer