The health and wellbeing of our employees and that of our customers, suppliers and contractors is of the utmost importance to us. While for the time being it is as far as is practical very much business as usual, we are taking all sensible precautions in terms of non-essential business travel, avoiding unnecessary physical interaction and hygiene.

Please be assured that we have a robust Business Continuity Plan in place, which is regularly reviewed and updated. We are using this to help guide our actions in response to the Coronavirus, and have taken a number of specific actions as a result:

  • Our HR and management functions are continually working to monitor our exposure, to ensure that we are as a minimum complying with guidance from the Government and Public Health England, and to ensure that this is effectively and regularly communicated to our people and our supply chain colleagues as necessary.
  • We are liaising with supply chain partners to identify and mitigate any supply risks.
  • All meetings, both internal and external are now conducted via phone or video conference.
  • We have introduced homeworking for almost all office based functions, while ensuring that all staff are able to respond effectively and without delay to communications from our customers and suppliers, however those communications are received.
  • We are ensuring that all employees have ready access to hand sanitizers and wipes, which have been distributed across all areas of the organisation.
  • We have restricted movement of staff between departments and reduced use of canteen facilities, with staggered breaks to reduce the number of people gathered together at any one time.
  • We have changed our delivery procedures so that a customer will not be required to sign to confirm acceptance of a delivery. Instead, our driver will simply ask for and record the name of the person accepting the delivery.
  • We have procedures in place to deal with the welfare of staff who report that they feel unwell, either at home or at work and have clear guidelines in place to ensure that those returning to work do not pose a risk to the health of their colleagues, including temperature monitoring before they are allowed to resume their duties.
  • These procedures apply equally to staff that visit customer’s premises or work on their sites, insofar as they are practical.

What you can do to help

Please immediately inform our staff on your site, or attending your premises if any person at that location is required to self-isolate, or has a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and follow the guidance given but are determined to continue to provide the highest possible levels of service and quality of product and appreciate the support of our customers and supply chain partners.

If you are planning on visiting our Jakstores, please call before coming to us to check if we are able to service your requirements (so we can confirm an order and take payment beforehand).