Covid first appeared on our risk register during January 2020 and the firm’s Business Continuity Team met in February as concerns started to escalate and we began preparing our systems for remote working.
Although our systems were set up for remote working, they had never been tested on this scale and most of our people hadn’t experienced extended remote working before. However, we were confident the team would adapt quickly, and despite a few initial teething issues, everyone worked through the challenges and were patient, flexible and adaptable. The overwhelming view from clients and our pension scheme members was that there was no difference to our normal high standards.
We have been privileged to remain busy during lockdown; our clients still need support managing their long-term pension liabilities and pension scheme members still need to receive their pensions.
We have recognised that it has been a very disruptive year for our colleagues and have tried new ideas as a firm to absorb some of the negative impact. This has included paying an initial home office set-up allowance to team members and sending out goody boxes and care packages sporadically to boost staff morale. There have also been positives for many people, including less commuting, more time with families and the opportunity for people and employers to show that remote working can and does work.
Post-Covid, returning to working practices of 2019 for us will be very unlikely. Our clients come first, and our experience over the last year has proved that we do not need to be in an office to look after them well.
However, we must ensure we strike the right balance of flexibility in working styles as not all teams do the same role and not everyone within a team has the same ability or desire to use the flexibility. We must also consider the longer-term impact of losing the positives of the office experience, including the friendships, knowledge sharing and mentoring.
At Quantum, we are positive about the future. I have never felt prouder about the sort of company we are and the culture we have than I did in 2020 and continue to do so now.
Andrew Reid-Jones
Partner