Lessons for COVID-19
ATTORNEY: JENNIFER PAFITI | POMERANTZ MONITOR MARCH/APRIL 2020
At the end of 2019, the world began to hear of an infectious respiratory disease referred to as Coronavirus, now identified as COVID-19. In early 2020, we learned that the disease was spreading globally and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus to be a global pandemic, pushing the threat beyond the Global Health Emergency the WHO had announced in January.
At the time of this writing, many of us are experiencing a new way of life as schools have closed, social distancing is the norm, non-essential travel is discouraged, and businesses close their offices.
At Pomerantz, we are closely monitoring developments and adhering to local guidelines as well as guidelines issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. We want to ensure that we are taking every step possible to protect the health and safety of our clients, employees, advisory partners and their families.
As part of our business continuity plan, we have implemented several sensible policies, including conducting meetings remotely and encouraging many of our employees to work from home, even before it became mandatory. Our client-focused approach combines legal expertise with the latest technological tools to allow us to operate from our offices, or remotely, to ensure that it is business as usual for our clients.
Until COVID-19, a normal working week for Jennifer Pafiti, Pomerantz Partner and Head of Client Services, included travel across the globe to meet with and advise clients, and to participate in educational events for institutional investors. Drawing from her experience, she has put together a few recommendations for being productive while working outside of a regular office setting:
1. Consider your workspace – Make sure your workspace is as comfortable and functional as possible. Having a dedicated workspace (even if just a seat at the dining table) will allow you to go into ‘work mode’ much like when you arrive at your regular place of work.
2. Get to work! – Set a routine similar to timings and habits you would have as part of your regular workday. For example, being dressed and ready to work by 9 a.m. or taking your regular lunch break should form part of your remote working day.
3. Avoid distractions – Avoid unnecessary distractions by logging out of social media accounts and setting a schedule of work that allows for breaks but also makes sure your “to-do” list is attended to.
4. Communicate with colleagues – Keeping in touch with colleagues and maintaining good communication is vital to minimize disconnection from your team. Call, email and take advantage of some of the fantastic technology available today to still enjoy face-to-face meetings, just from a distance! At the end of 2019, the world began to hear of an infectious respiratory disease referred to as Coronavirus, now identified as COVID-19. In early 2020, we learned that the disease was spreading globally and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus to be a global pandemic, pushing the threat beyond the Global Health Emergency the WHO had announced in January.
Pomerantz, as the oldest law firm in the world dedicated to representing defrauded investors, has weathered many storms. Since its founding by legendary attorney Abe Pomerantz in 1936, the Firm and its clients have endured through the tail end of the Great Depression, World War II, Black Monday (1987), the early 1990’s recession, and the 2008 banking crisis. Today, as the world faces yet another crisis, Pomerantz and its clients will weather it together.
On behalf of the entire team at Pomerantz, we wish our readers, their families, friends, and loved ones good health. Stay safe!
For real-time updates on the latest situation with COVID-19, please refer to information provided by the World Health Organization (www.who.int), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) and official, local resources specific to your region.