Viacom is joining dozens of companies across Hollywood preparing for the coronavirus, as CEO Bob Bakish has announced to employees that they are testing new procedures to allow them to work from home.
“This [test] will allow us to assess our remote access capabilities, ensure everyone has the technology they need to do their jobs remotely, and help us practice how we work together when we’re all out of the office at the same,” Bakish wrote.
The test will take place this Friday, March 13, at offices nationwide, with employees instructed to back up critical files to company cloud servers and to take laptops home with them. Employees in some essential departments, such as news and Network Operation Centers, will not be included in this test and will have their own unique procedures. The memo also encourages any employee that would feel more comfortable working remotely to discuss doing so with their manager.
Companies worldwide are preparing for the coronavirus to continue spreading as the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on Wednesday. Companies like Amazon, Google and Twitter have instructed their employees to work remotely, and in Hollywood, organizations like SAG-AFTRA have announced that all in-person meetings and events have been canceled until further notice and will be replaced with remote videoconferences for essential meetings.