COVID-19: INTERVIEW WITH JULIEN SONNERAT, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SCHINDLER MAROC

“Everyone is showing an ability to reinvent themselves”

What is Schindler’s situation in Morocco in this context of health crisis?

Today, our activity varies depending on our services. As far as installations are concerned, we are at around 60%. In maintenance, activity is being maintained at 90% and office work is continuing normally. The majority of office employees are working remotely. We wanted to keep a degree of flexibility by keeping our offices open, so everyone has been able to choose the best solution to protect their health while continuing to carry out their daily tasks.

How do you reconcile continuing work with the safety of your employees?

To ensure the safety of our employees while they carry out their work, various measures have been rolled out. Those working outside are provided with all the equipment they need for their protection: disinfection suits, gloves, masks, goggles; they also have sprayers to clean the areas where they work.
For our employees in the office, gel and masks have been made available. Distancing measures are observed. In addition, our premises are cleaned several times a day, as are all the parcels we receive.
With our employees working remotely, it is important to maintain a strong bond. To this end, we hold regular meetings with all our teams and make intensive use of collaboration platforms.

In your view, what is the positive aspect of this crisis?

Since the beginning of this crisis, people have shown an ability to reinvent themselves, to come up with solutions to make their daily lives easier and safer, sometimes through very simple gestures. Some of our employees, for example, have found ingenious ways of washing their hands in their cars. In addition, this period is pushing us to be more human, more attentive to others, whether in the professional world or in a more private sphere.