June 11, 2020IDEAS

The babysitter? We'll think about it

It was during the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Marchesini Group was part of the essential activities identified by the Italian government, we never stopped working. Production carried on, albeit at a reduced pace and in compliance with the due infection-control precautions: we made it compulsory to wear a mask in the workplace, we sanitised work environments daily, installed perspex screens, carried out FAT in streaming and made antibody testing available to all our staff.

Then, almost immediately, a problem arose: if schools were closed and parents had to go to work, who would look after their young children and assist older kids with schooling?

We contacted a local, specialised cooperative and decided that it would be a good idea to guarantee all our staff - free of charge - a continuous baby-sitting service for little ones aged 0-6 years, plus the presence of an educator for children aged 6-13 years, with the option of extending the service to their friends of the same age.

Despite the introduction of vouchers by the Italian government, we have decided to keep this service running until nurseries and schools reopen.