Indigo Announces Additional Proactive Safety Measures to Protect the Health of its Employees
As Indigo's top priority remains on the health and safety of its employees, the Company has implemented numerous protocols including:
- Participation in the Employer Antigen Screening Pilot in its distribution centres
- Paid sick leave and sick days for all employees during the pandemic
- Retained the services of a corporate medical director to review all COVID-19 health and safety protocols
TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Indigo (TSX: IDG), Canada's leading book and lifestyle retailer, today announced additional measures to further protect the health of its employees against COVID-19. Since January 20th, 2021, Indigo has been participating in the Employer Antigen Screening Pilot, a voluntary eight-week program being led by the Ontario Ministry of Health, with support from partner ministries, Public Health Ontario and Ontario Health. Indigo's top priority remains the health and safety of its employees, while delivering Canadians the first-class customer service, safe ways to shop and wide assortment of product offerings they are accustomed to.
"The health and well-being of our employees and customers has always been our priority at Indigo. Throughout the various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken a number of actions to protect our people as best we can and have implemented industry leading health and safety policies with the help of medical experts," said Sloane Cox, Vice President of Human Resources, Retail and Distribution Centres, Indigo. "We hope that by participating in the Employer Antigen Screening Pilot in conjunction with our other protocols, that we can further prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep all of our employees and their families safe."
Antigen testing is yet another proactive measure taken by the Company as a response to the increase of cases in regions close to its distribution centres, and to help decrease the risk of exposure to others through any asymptomatic carriers.
This onsite testing will be staffed and facilitated by registered nurses provided by the company's health partner DriverCheck Inc., a leading provider of workplace medical testing and assessments in the country. In addition to following all recommendations by provincial health authorities, Indigo has retained DriverCheck's corporate medical director Dr. Jonathan Davids as its internal medical advisor to review all Indigo health and safety policies and protocols pertaining to COVID-19. This past fall, Indigo also partnered with DriverCheck to provide secondary flu prevention clinics.
Any Indigo employee who tests positive for the coronavirus (including at its distribution centres, retail locations, and head office) will receive paid sick leave. Indigo has also implemented paid support for employees awaiting COVID-19 test results or self-isolating due to potential exposure. In addition to these COVID-19 supports, and in an effort to encourage employees to stay home when they are unwell, Indigo has implemented paid sick time during the pandemic for all seasonal and part-time retail and distribution centre employees. To date, the Company has not had any cases of transmission of COVID-19 within the workplace.
Following the recommendations set by leading health officials and Dr. Jonathan Davids, Indigo has implemented multiple industry leading safety protocols throughout the pandemic. These include enhanced cleaning protocols, including regular disinfecting and sanitizing of high touch surfaces and equipment, mandatory temperature checks in all three distribution centres, mandatory electronic medical screening questionnaires (through an in-house COVID-19 self assessment application) for all staff to complete before attending work, mandatory in-store masking for everyone over the age of two, providing employees with the necessary PPE including 3 layer-masks and gloves, and acrylic protective shields installed at cash desks in-store. Indigo also limits in store capacity that is often below government mandated levels, with strict physical distancing measures in place.
Indigo continues to review and revise its policies and protocols under the guidance of its medical director in order to keep its staff and customers as safe as possible. For additional information on Indigo's Health & Safety Policies, please visit indigo.ca
About Indigo
Indigo Books & Music Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (IDG). Indigo is the world's first Cultural Department Store – a physical and digital meeting place inspired by and filled with books, music, art, ideas, and beautifully designed lifestyle products. Indigo believes in real books, in living life fully and generously, in being kind to each other and that stories – big and little – connect us. For more information on Indigo, visit indigo.ca.
SOURCE Indigo Books & Music Inc.
Kate Gregory, Director of Marketing and Communications, [email protected]
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