Supporting our people through an unprecedented crisis

We are grateful to our team members who continue to work in our manufacturing sites and laboratories to keep our operations running safely and reliably to serve the needs of our customers. Dow products and technologies are essential to support the needs of the medical community in the fight against this pandemic.

We have taken a number of actions to protect the safety and well-being of our team members who are reporting to work on Dow sites.

First, we are requiring employees who can work from home to work from home to reduce the number of people on site. This lowers the risk for everyone.

Additionally, we are taking the following measures:

• Employees and contractors experiencing flu or COVID-19 like symptoms are required to stay at home and contact their local healthcare provider, Dow Health Services and their leader.
• Many Dow sites are conducting temperature monitoring for employees and contractors to reduce the risk of potential exposure.
• Increasing our cleaning efforts across all sites with emphasis on high touch areas.
• Changing our work procedures to increase social distancing between coworkers.
• Providing hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial surface wipes and encouraging their use.
• Posting site-wide guidelines about COVID-19 health and safety practices at site entry and exit points.
• Ensuring ongoing stock and supply of personal protective equipment.
• Keeping our colleagues regularly and reliably informed via the CDC and WHO websites.

We cannot stress this enough: all employees with COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms should contact their local healthcare provider, report their symptoms by phone to Dow Health Services and notify their leader. They should self-isolate at home at the earliest sign of symptoms. It’s important to notify Dow Health Services so we can understand where an individual has worked and anyone they have been in contact with, in order to take proper precautions. Employees will receive full pay continuation* for their regularly scheduled hours during this time.

In addition to providing our employees with local medical care around the world, many medical plans are covering the cost of testing for COVID-19. Some are also waiving costs for employees to use telemedicine options, where available, to get appropriate care without risking exposure. We are helping employees review the specific options available to them based on their medical plan enrollment.

*Compensation and pay is subject to local labor laws, Union affiliation and Works Councils consultations where required.

Dow is a part of a critical industry, as we are essential to the economy. We must keep our plants running safely and reliably to meet our customer commitments and provide products that assist in pandemic relief. We have employees whose jobs require them to regularly report to work sites to ensure operations are maintained. They are doing this while most of the people in their communities are being asked to work from home.

To recognize these efforts, Dow has approved a special recognition cash payment for eligible employees of $1,000 (USD), or similar value by country, in addition to regular pay.

These are unprecedented times, as many of our team members are now working in new situations. We have asked leaders to provide maximum flexibility to their teams, including working non-traditional hours, adjusting shift schedules, and empowering team members to make the necessary changes to manage personal circumstances.

One area of great need is dependent care. An example that aims to help address this is Dow’s participation in the Louisiana Department of Education Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which is available to support our employees who are asked to report to work. They now can access subsidized childcare.

We are working to define unique solutions for dependent care and other needs around the world.

We are providing resources to support the psychological well-being of our team. This crisis is creating extraordinary stress and many of us are facing new and competing demands, a significant change to daily home and work life and concerns about finances and the future. Dow’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to all employees and immediate family members – with local contact numbers by country. EAP is staffed by experienced counselors who:

• Understand challenges with relationships, finances and fears
• Are great listeners
• Know coping techniques that can help with resiliency
  
• Can help identify causes of worry or anxiety
  
• Posting site-wide guidelines about COVID-19 health and safety practices at site entry and exit points.
• Will provide additional support if needed

Our Leadership team is implementing new and more ways to engage employees. CEO Jim Fitterling hosts weekly calls with over 3,300 leaders in the Company to provide regular updates and resources for leading during uncertain times. We are asking those 3,300 leaders to continue the conversation with smaller groups across the organization. Dow’s Employee Resource Groups have risen to the occasion and are creating spaces to connect socially while physically distant, supporting employees with solutions to thrive in this environment, providing unique opportunities to serve the community, and continuing to deliver professional development virtually.

We recognize the need to support our colleagues, their families and our communities to help ease the strain on nonprofits, social services, small business and health care sectors. Many employees are searching for business solutions and customer collaborations that can deploy Dow products and resources toward urgent needs.

As a Company, we have committed $3M to COVID-19 relief efforts and adjusted manufacturing processes to produce hand sanitizer. We have created a simple process for interested employees to donate as well.

While the methods to volunteer may look different right now, there are still opportunities for #TeamDow to step in and create meaningful impact in our community and beyond.

Virtual opportunities include tutoring students, providing a listening ear to a senior, participating in ongoing research, partnering to provide aids to individuals with disabilities and more. Learn more on our volunteer portal.