Like no other time in our world’s history, when we need more than ever to come together, we are being asked to keep our distance. And while so many of us are working from home and not sharing the same office space we once did – not gathering in conference rooms or in the cafeteria – not commiserating about our commutes – we are still together. Our shared experiences, fears, adaptations and inspirations around this new normal bring us closer and help us to navigate during an extraordinary time.

Beyond shared experiences, our values as a global organization are what unite us together with a collective global spirit – ensuring our minds, our thoughts and our actions are on the same page, even if we’re not in the same room.

Our values are our true north in everyday business and decision making, but during this time of global crisis, our values have taken on added meaning…

  • Common sense in doing our part within society to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus;
  • Common decency in how we support our more than 14,000 employees and each other during these challenging times;
  • Uncommon thinking in supporting our customers who need us more than ever as we navigate through these unprecedented times; and
  • Uncommon results in quickly activating our business continuity plans to safeguard our employees and protect our operations.

Together: We’re doing our part

Since the onset of this crisis, we’ve erred on the side of caution, implementing a global ban on international travel early on. To support our local communities and stem the spread of the virus, we quickly moved more than 12,000 of our 14,000 employees to work remotely. Within our facilities that remain open in order to perform essential services, we’ve adopted strict guidelines to promote the health and wellbeing of our employees and partners, including social distancing, providing PPE provisions, as well as office deep cleaning and sanitization – all following guidance from the CDC and WHO. This ensures we can continue to provide the essential services our more than 300 million consumers rely on Assurant to provide. We want to do our part within society to stem the spread of the virus.

Together: We’re supporting our employees

We are committed to doing all that what we can to support our employees through this period of uncertainty – always treating them with respect and dignity and providing comfort, wherever possible, given all they are dealing with at this time. We’ve made commitments to allay near-term job security concerns, while also offering financial support where it’s most needed. For example, as part of our Assurant Cares Employee Support (ACES) Fund, we have launched a special COVID-19 Emergency Relief program to support eligible employees who are experiencing severe financial hardships triggered by the pandemic. We seeded the fund with a special $500,000 allocation from the Assurant Foundation, and with the support of our management committee, our Board and our employees we have already raised an additional nearly $500,000 as of April 2nd and counting!

Together: We’re serving our customers

As our purpose states, “we protect what matters most.” Throughout this crisis in partnership with our clients, we’ve delivered continuous support for the millions of customers we serve. The essential services we provide, like keeping people connected through mobile phones and ensuring continuous coverage on their homes, matter today more than ever. It’s not – nor has it ever been – one person or one team that gets it done. We have rallied across our global organization to support each other in quickly activating our business continuity plans to safeguard our employees and protect our operations. And despite the challenges this pandemic has wrought, we are continuing to deliver.

 

Regardless of the market volatility, our business fundamentals remain strong - so that we will be there for our customers, employees, and communities for the long-run, while delivering value for our shareholders.

This current uncertainty only underscores how much we rely on each other. How important it is to stay connected. And how responsible we are to the communities where we live and work. Together, we’re united with a common resolve that no physical distance can weaken.

And, while we’re all so far apart right now because of social distancing, isolation or working remotely – more than ever, we need to value what it means to be ‘together.’

Alan