The entities of the Vivendi group reassessed their working methods by reconciling two principles: the safety of their employees and the need for business continuity. They also fully embraced their role as a socially-responsible stakeholder, by organizing a host of initiatives to help the medical community and victims of the health crisis.

The global coronavirus crisis translates to two constraints for Vivendi. On the one hand, the group is present in parts of the world that experienced or are experiencing the pandemic and lockdown at different times. On the other hand, it operates in cultural industries that have not been affected by the repercussions of the health situation to the same degree.

For the sake of efficiency, the decision was made to entrust our different entities with the challenge of managing the crisis at the most local level. This decentralized and agile organization gives the businesses freedom to take the necessary measures directly, at very short notice and in accordance with the recommendations or obligations imposed by the authorities in each country.

A crisis unit bringing together the main functions representing headquarters and the entities was set up to exchange information on a regular basis and share best practices.

In recent months, many of our 44,000 employees have been working from home. This way of working is still very widespread in many businesses and countries. The Vivendi headquarters, which remained open during lockdown to ensure the continuity of certain critical functions, is an exception to this scheme.

“Office working” is, of course, in strict compliance with the health rules in force: compulsory mask wearing, compliance with physical distancing, closure of communal areas, and so on.

In view of the changing nature of the situation, the group will continue to adapt by ensuring that employees are protected as a matter of priority, while maintaining business continuity.

At the same time, Vivendi and its various businesses are swinging into action, aware of the role they can and must play in order to get through the health crisis as best they can, especially by supporting the medical community and people left impoverished in the wake of the health crisis.

Multiple initiatives have emerged in record time, with major musical events such as One World: Together at Home, Global Goal: Unite for our Future, Together at L’Olympia, Africa At Home, Des mots par la fenêtre, through which authors from the Editis group are taking action to support health care workers, or the initiative taken by Canal+ to give free access to some of its channels in the early days of lockdown in France.