Hey there.

We care deeply about the health and safety of all employees during these uncertain times. As our offices re-open we’ve created this site to keep all information about our safety practices, working remotely, production protocols, travel, meetings and events, all in one place.

Resources

Your Office

The current status of your office, how we are managing COVID-19 risks and general FAQs.

Last updated May 4th, 2022

Your Office

Summary

Currently, staff in most of our global locations are able to work in the office if they have an essential need to do so. Progressively, we are starting a Flexible Working Trial throughout our offices, which will see us trial a hybrid working arrangement for most staff. See below for the status of all of our offices.

Due to government restrictions and/or the need to keep staff safely distanced, many offices cannot yet accommodate all staff.

However, as some of our locations start to show signs of emerging from the pandemic, and as government restrictions start to relax, VMG has been developing plans to help more staff gradually return to office-based work, in a way that is both flexible and structured. This will involve all roles working in one of 3 ways: mostly onsite/office-based, hybrid and mostly remote (definitions below).

All roles globally have now been allocated to one of these 3 categories.

This flexible working arrangement will take effect once it is appropriate to increase capacity in each of our offices – so the timing will differ from one country to the next. We will be updating this microsite as soon as we announce when this new working arrangement will take effect in your office. See below for details of offices that have already confirmed this start date.

In developing plans for each office and categorising all roles, we consulted with business leaders and senior management in every location.

Because this is a dynamic situation, we will keep the plans under continuous review.

Definitions:

1. Mostly Remote: Works remotely all or predominantly all of the time. May travel to the office very occasionally for a strategic meeting, team event or special occasion.

2. Hybrid: Splits time working remotely and in the office – e.g. 2 – 3 days per week in the office. Also travels into the office on non-office days for meetings, teamwork, collaboration, complex projects, busy periods and special occasions – based on the needs of the role.

3. Mostly Office Based: Works in the office all or predominantly all of the time – e.g. 4 -5 days per week. May occasionally work remotely when office presence is not needed – based on manager / department or role requirements.

Status of Your Office Right Now

USA Offices – US Vaccination Policy FAQ

Brooklyn, S2nd, USA:
- Beginning Monday, February 28, 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
225 Broadway, NY, USA:
- Currently Closed
Dumbo (55 Washington Street) remains closed.

Los Angeles, 589 Venice Blvd, USA
- Beginning Monday, February 28, 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
Los Angeles, West LA, USA
- Beginning Monday, February 28, 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
Washington DC, USA
- Beginning Monday, February 28, 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office

US employees can view additional FAQs here regarding the planned Return to Office. It is mandatory you review office protocols prior to returning to your local office, and complete VMG’s mandatory VICE Learn office risk management training.

World Offices

As plans are communicated to staff in these offices, those plans will be summarised below. At this stage we have not yet communicated dates for beginning the new flexible working trial in all of the below offices, but as and when we do we will update the wording below and link to any FAQs as we have done for the USA above.

Abu Dhabi, UAE: (temporarily closed)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The government announced that everyone should work from home again beginning 29 November. Therefore we will allow – at least until 3 Jan 2022 – the following people into the office starting today with a maximum capacity of 30 people daily:
- Essential roles: Employees who need to be in the office to perform their work.
- People who are struggling with working from home because of, for example, bad working conditions (max 2 days a week). Please inform your manager/HR and use this form to subscribe yourself
- New colleagues (max 2 days a week). Please feel free to invite a member from your team so you can get to know your colleagues and use this form to subscribe yourself.
External people are not allowed in the office until 3 January 2022.
Athens, Greece: Open for staff. If there are questions on the days you would like to come into the office, please get in contact with your territory lead Elpida.
Belgrade, Serbia: (office is closed except for essential visits)
Berlin, Germany: Beginning 18 April 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
Bucharest, Romania: (open for all staff)
Brussels, Belgium: Beginning 21 February 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
Copenhagen, Denmark: As of 13 December 2021, the government has recommended that employees work from home when possible, and to move meetings to virtual when possible. The office will still be open for those who need to use equipment and for wellbeing reasons. If you are going to be in the office please carefully follow our guidelines.
Jakarta, Indonesia: Beginning 18 April 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
London, UK: Beginning 7 March 2022 – Regularly Planned Return to Office
Milan, Italy: As of 11 April 2022 the office is open to all workers with a fixed weekly schedule. Compliant with Italian laws, all workers (including visitors and external contributors) will have to present a valid “Covid-19 Certificate” to access the premises, until 30 April. The company will reserve the right to check the certificates upon arrival or during the day.
Mumbai, India: (open for critical in-office roles/purposes)
Paris, France: The office is open for all staff.
Singapore: (open for critical in-office roles/purposes). From mid February the government guidelines will allow us to open the office for a maximum of 50% of the workforce. For full details please see the updated Risk Management Plan for this office, linked under Risk Management Plans. If you have any questions please reach out to Angelia Ang.
Tokyo, Japan: (open for critical in-office roles/purposes)
Toronto, Canada: (all staff working remotely)
Vienna, Austria: (all staff working remotely)

Risk Management Plans

To manage risks of transmission of COVID-19, we have put in place a detailed Risk Management Plan for each office. Think of it as a set of office rules.

When it is time for your role to return to the office, you will first be required to review your local Risk Management Plan and to receive training. You can revisit this training at any time here.

The Risk Management Plans are kept under continual review. In each office, someone has been appointed to be responsible for keeping these documents up to date. Globally, this process is coordinated by Rosie McNeel and Karin Helfer. To ensure you are looking at the most up to date version of the applicable Risk Management Plan, please refer to the Risk Management Plans’ links on this page, rather than any copies you may have printed out or downloaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

For FAQs related to the new flexible working arrangements (i.e. the 3 role categories) please see above.

If my role isn’t yet able to start working in the office, can I still come to the office to pick up mail?

Please check your office’s Risk Management Plan above. This document covers everything you need to know in relation to returning to your office – including the approach to collecting mail. The Risk Management Plan will be available on the Microsite if your office has reopened. if your office has not reopened please contact your local office manager or HR Business Partner.

If my role isn’t yet able to start working in the office, can I still come to the office to collect my personal belongings?

We understand that for some, working from home presents a challenge, and it’s our intention to be responsive to our continually evolving situation. That said, we need to also weigh requests against the safety of employees who have an essential need to work in the office. If you absolutely need to request access to an office that’s open, you must get prior written approval via the updated process — including filling out an approval and health declaration form — as outlined in your office’s Risk Management Plan, which is available via the links above.

I’d like to find other ways to commute to work, to avoid public transportation. Can VMG recommend any resources?

Please check your office’s Risk Management Plan above. This document covers everything you need to know in relation to returning to your office including a section on cycling/biking to the office and any recommendations we have pulled together on resources available to help you commute. The Risk Management Plan will be available above if your office has reopened.

What steps is VMG taking to minimise risks of transmission in our offices?

We have taken a very detailed, location-specific approach to minimize risks in our offices.

We identify that an office is ready to reopen and to stay open at its current status, based on bi-weekly analysis of a variety of metrics including:

● government guidelines on reopening vs remote work and on risk management protocols such as social distancing, mask wearing, ventilation etc….
● transmission rates (confirmed cases per 100,000 or per 1m).
● hospitalisation rates (including number of cases in Intensive Care Units and any data regarding the number of fully vaccinated ICU cases).
● breadth of the location’s testing policy (i.e. are tests limited to individuals with symptoms, or from vulnerable groups, or are they available to anyone including if they are asymptomatic).
● vaccination rates.
● information and studies regarding variants of concern (e.g. Delta).
● what our industry is doing in the given location (e.g. comparisons at other companies).

Once we identify that an office is ready to re-open under government guidelines, we appoint a COVID-19 Territory Lead in that location (in larger offices, we appoint a team).

The Territory Lead works with the global Project Team to prepare a Risk Management Plan. The Risk Management Plan identifies the potential transmission risks in the office and the approach that will be taken to mitigate those risks. Each Risk Management Plan is bespoke to the given office, but the Project Team ensures that it reflects global best practices, where appropriate.

The Risk Management Plans are summarised for staff in the given office, prior to the first return phase. You can find a copy of the Risk Management Plan for each open office above.

Once it is possible for more staff to start returning to the office, we review the Risk Management Plan to see what changes are needed.

What happens if staff don’t take the risks seriously / don’t comply with VMG’s guidelines? Will someone be enforcing the rules?

We will treat these instances very seriously and take disciplinary action, where appropriate. Please check the Risk Management Plan above for your office. This contains information about how to deal with these situations.

How many people will be allowed in my office at any given time?

Whenever we reopen an office we set a maximum occupancy cap in line with government guidelines on safe distancing. Depending on local conditions we may leave these distancing requirements in place for longer than is required by local guidelines. Please check the Risk Management Plan for your office for more information.

What is the cleaning schedule in my office?

Please check your office’s Risk Management Plan above. This document covers many topics in relation to returning to your office – including the approach to cleanings. The Risk Management Plan will be available above if your office has reopened. if your office has not reopened please contact your local office manager or HR Business Partner.

What steps is VMG taking to minimize transmission risks with Air Conditioner usage?

We continue to take steps to minimize these risks and the steps differ depending on the system that is used in each office. We can update you on these steps when the first return phase is starting in your office.

How will viewings be conducted in edit suites?

We may not be able to permit more than one person in an edit suite at any one time while social distancing restrictions remain in place. Each office will address this topic in its Risk Management Plan – so if your office has begun the phased return of staff please check the Risk Management Plan link included above. The Plan will indicate any bespoke solutions available – for example a desk outside the edit suite that allows for communication with the editor. In some offices, these solutions will not be possible and viewings will continue to be conducted remotely.

Are staff and guests required to wear masks in my office?

Please see the Risk Management Plan above for your office. This contains all the information you need regarding the approach to PPE in that location, which is guided by local government requirements and conditions.

Will VMG provide me with masks or other PPE?

If staff or guests are required to wear masks in my office, what happens if they refuse to do so and what can I do about this?

If staff or guests are required to wear masks in a given office but refuse to wear one on entry, they will be denied entry.
If they take their mask off while in the building, contrary to the rules in the Risk Management Plan, we will treat this very seriously and will consider disciplinary action for employees where appropriate.
If you become aware that someone is not following the rules regarding mask-wearing in your office, please check your office’s Risk Management Plan for more information about how to escalate this situation. You can also always raise these matters with your HRBP.

What will VMG do if someone has spent time in our office and develops symptoms or tests positive?

Immediate steps, from a first aid and isolation perspective, if the individual is in the office at the time that symptoms appear:

Each office has a plan for dealing with COVID-19 symptoms in the office, which involves isolation of staff members, a protocol for them notifying specific personnel from the isolation area, emergency PPE provided by the company and guidance on transport home. This is set out in the Risk Management Plan above for each open office.

Subsequent steps, from the perspective of contact tracing, office quarantine and risk management:

We have put a protocol in place in the event that this happens. The process is triggered when a manager and/or HR Business Partner becomes aware of a suspected case in the office or that someone has been in the office and subsequently develops symptoms or tests positive.

It involves:

Information gathering and contact tracing.
Concurrently, informing our Global COVID-19 Response Team (comprised of facilities, HR, security, legal, internal communications and business representatives). If the case arises on a shoot/part of a crew, we also include the production representatives.
Decision making in relation to the quarantining – based on the facts and local guidelines.
Communications with staff, including follow-up with positive/suspected cases and contacts.
Business continuity planning with department leads.

Will I be told if someone has spent time in our office and develops symptoms or tests positive?

Yes. We will communicate with all staff in the office if we become aware that someone has spent time there while potentially infectious. We will also notify staff if this is a confirmed, positive case or a suspected case.

Will VMG be checking temperatures as a condition of entry to our offices?

This depends on the local laws in each location where we have an office. It also depends on local conditions – such as the extent of vaccination in the local area and the current case rates. In some countries temperature checking is unlawful even with staff consent. We will always follow local legal advice. This means that we may not have a consistent approach to temperature checking across our offices but this inconsistency cannot be avoided. Please check the Risk Management Plan for your office, to see whether we are testing temperatures in your office.

What will VMG do if there is a further ‘wave’ or outbreak in my location?

Once an office is approved to re-open, we monitor the following every two weeks:

● Government guidelines
● Transmission data and testing policies

Within our global covid-19 project team we have staff members assigned to monitoring open offices for any changes in the above.
If circumstances indicate the need to temporarily close or restrict access to the office or update our Risk Management Plan, we will make those changes.
We will also work with business leads on contingency planning that is needed, appreciating that some of this planning can only be done at the last minute, depending on the time and nature of the situation that arises.

I am required to work some days in the office and some days at home/remotely, will VMG provide me with a screen/keyboard/mouse for use at home and in the office?

In cases where employees require specific equipment at home to carry out their day-to-day responsibilities, we encourage employees to make such requests via an IT helpdesk Ticket — go to OKTA, VMG Support, New Ticket and select the ‘Facilities’ category from the drop-down list. You are prohibited from taking equipment home without proper approval.

Will VMG be requiring staff in my location to confirm their vaccination status and will vaccination status impact the rules that staff need to adhere to in the office?

Whether we collect this information will be dictated by the government guidelines and ultimately the law in a given location. Legally it is not possible or practicable to collect or use this information in all locations. If this is something that we are doing in your location, this will be explained in your office’s Risk Management Plan (see above links). In terms of whether the rules change depending on your vaccination status, again this depends on the local conditions – including government or health advisory guidance and our assessment of the risks and best practice.

Production

Global COVID-19 production guidelines.

Last updated March 10th, 2022

Production

We have put production guidelines in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are informed by industry standards, applicable laws, health and safety considerations as well as requirements and recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other applicable government health department sources.

These guidelines currently apply to all VMG productions with the exception of Pulse productions. These guidelines apply to all productions across Virtue, News, Digital, R29, Studios, and Commercial Production. They also apply to all productions shooting in VICE’s offices.

For News deployment in less than 48 hours, please continue to liaise directly with News production management and Sharbil Nammour’s team.

For Pulse, please continue to work with production management and follow existing risk assessment processes which include COVID-19 considerations.

The Production Guidelines require you to complete a Risk Assessment Scorecard, a Checklist, and a Health Declaration. You can access all of those documents here:

For production filming in any of our offices, you will also need to comply with the Risk Management Plan for that office — including requirements to obtain pre-approval for all employees and guests to come to the office. This is so that we can manage and contain and limit the number of employees in our workplaces for safety and social distancing reasons, and to facilitate contact tracing if that becomes necessary.

Travel

How to request approval for work travel outside your city.

Last updated August 25th, 2021

Travel

First and foremost, think about whether your trip is truly necessary – if you are travelling to a meeting, could that meeting be conducted remotely?
All travel must be booked and approved via AMEX Global Travel (accessed on OKTA through Concur). No exceptions to be made – no bookings via local vendors or travel agents or by you personally on travel booking sites.
You must familiarize yourself with the COVID-19 restrictions and requirements in place in your destination (and any restrictions and requirements that will apply to you once you return from that destination, such as proof of a negative test upon reentry and/or quarantine). See below links for more information. Stay across these throughout your trip, as they may change while you are away.
You must outline these COVID-19 restrictions and requirements in the comments in Concur so that they can be reviewed by the parties who need to approve your booking in that system.
For travel between UK and Europe, you must also familiarize yourself with Brexit implications for your trip and additionally outline these in the comments in Concur to the travel approver
If the purpose of your travel is to attend a production, then you should also read the Production section of this Microsite. You will need to adhere to the above requirements in addition to requirements under our production policies (i.e. travel must be risk assessed and approved via the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Scorecard).
If the purpose of your travel is to attend a meeting or event, then you will need to adhere to the above requirements and you should also read the Meetings & Events section of this Microsite for further steps that are needed.

Keeping safe on your journey

A number of governments have put in place guidance for safer travel. Check if these are available in your home or destination country and follow the applicable recommendations.

US CDC guidance
UK government guidance

Think about your entire itinerary and how you can minimise risks throughout each stage. For example: your travel to the airport, the time you spend at the airport, your travel on-board the aircraft, travel to your accommodation, your stay at your accommodation etc…
Plan your journey with peak and non-peak times in mind. For parts of your journey that might involve crowded spaces, think about how you can plan to avoid the busiest times in those locations – e.g. by booking flights at times when the airport will be less crowded or researching off-peak public transport times.
Check infection, hospitalisation and vaccination rates in your destination using this site and factor this into your decision to travel. You can use this site to compare these rates in your home country to those in your destination and use this as a way to measure the increased risk you could be exposed to. Think about your vaccination status. Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to minimise the risks of serious illness and hospitalisation from Covid-19. If you are vaccinated, have at least 14 days passed since your final dose?
Be aware that vaccination is a condition of entry into some of our international workplaces — and this may include any work setting, not just the office – you must check these requirements before you travel. See the Risk Management Plan for your destination office, under the Your Office section of the Covid-19 Microsite.
If you will be visiting one of our offices during your trip, you must review this Risk Management Plan and ensure that you follow all of the applicable requirements. These might mean you cannot enter the office unless you are fully vaccinated, that you need to book a desk in advance, that you need to submit a health declaration before arrival at the office, that you need to hold meetings in different locations. This document will also detail the specific safety measures you need to take while onsite – such as wearing a face-covering, keeping distance from others in the space, etc. In addition, some offices may not be allowing guests including staff from other VMG locations. This may be because of safety measures or capacity constraints, which need to be adhered to, to keep local staff safe.
For taxi, hire car and public transport travel, we have provided Covid-19 safety guidance in your office’s Risk Management Plan, which is available on this Covid-19 Microsite under the Your Office section.
For airplane travel, check if your airline has Covid-19 safety guidance.
For airports and other travel hubs, minimise time in crowded areas as much as possible and consider wearing a face covering even if this is not mandatory. When possible, spend time outside or in areas which are clearly well ventilated. Think about steps that you can take to speed-up time you will need to spend in busy areas at airports and transport hubs (such as buying tickets in advance, checking-in before arrival, travelling with carry-on luggage only to avoid waiting at baggage desks and carousels).
Check your hotel / accommodation provider’s Covid-19 safety guidance and the measures they have put in place. Think about the adequacy of these measures before placing your booking. And once you decide to book with a specific accommodation provider, follow any guidance that they have issued.
Think about the safety measures that any restaurants or other venues you visit have put in place. Try to sit outside wherever possible or in areas that are clearly well ventilated.
Throughout your journey and your stay:
- wash or sanitise your hands regularly. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing 60%-95% alcohol). You may also wish to carry alcohol-based disinfecting wipes, which you can use to wipe down seats and armrests and other surfaces you will need to touch during your journey.
- avoid touching your face.
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing

If you develop symptoms or test positive while you are travelling, let your manager and HRBP know so that we can provide assistance.

Travel guidance by country

You should check the advice in your home country and your country of destination before and during your trip. Here are some links which may assist you:

USA
- Travel Advisories
- Country-Specific Travel Information
UK
- Foreign Travel Advice
- Traveling Abroad Step-by-Step
Canada
France
- Traveling Abroad
- Advice for Foreign Nationals in France
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Denmark
Italy
The Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Singapore
Japan
India
Indonesia

Global resource with interactive map: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php.

Meetings & Events

Policies on face-to-face gatherings.

Last updated July 5th, 2021

Meetings & Events

In-Person Business Meetings & Events

Internal Meetings (at our offices)

The Risk Management Plan for your office explains our policy on internally hosted meetings and events. Please review this document for more information (see the Your Office section of this site).

External Meetings (outside our offices)

You can attend external meetings so long as this is compliant with government guidelines and you have obtained approval for any travel involved and you comply with our T + E policy. You should also think about the following things:

Masks & Distancing: follow the local guidelines in your country / state regarding mask-wearing and social distancing.
Venue: Think carefully about the choice of venue and how COVID-19 risks will be mitigated. EG: look for spaces that are well ventilated and that are not very busy. Also think about the time of day, to avoid peak periods.
COVID-19 Symptoms or Exposure: Do not attend if you have any symptoms or if you think you may have been exposed to the virus.

After the meeting, if you become aware that any attendees have developed symptoms or tested positive, please inform your HR Business Partner immediately.

COVID-19 Cases In The Workplace

Protocol for reporting and managing cases and symptoms.

Last updated July 6th, 2021

COVID-19 Cases In The Workplace

If you develop COVID-19 symptoms while you are in the office, please follow the process set out in your office Risk Management Plan. The most important thing to remember is you should promptly leave the office, taking care to minimize contact with others and you should notify your manager and HR Business Partner once you have left. If you are too unwell to leave the office, your Risk Management Plan specifies where you should wait while you arrange for someone to come and collect you (you can also liaise with front of house and your HRBP from this area, if you require assistance to get home). Each office has designated an area, especially for this purpose. From this room, you should make contact with your manager and HRBP.

Please notify your HR Business Partner as soon as possible if any of the following situations occur so that we can promptly begin our internal contact tracing process:

You develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days after spending time with any other VICE staff, clients or contractors.
You learn that a third party has developed COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive within 14 days after spending time with any VICE staff.
You learn that a member of a production crew, talent or contributor has developed COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive during a shoot or within 14 days after a shoot.

Whenever our HR Business Partners are informed of any of the above situations, this triggers various processes internally, including:

Notification to our Global COVID-19 Response Team (comprised of Legal, HR, Security/Risk, Comms, Global COVID-19 Project Team). If the case arises on a shoot/part of a crew, we also include the Global Production Lead.
Information gathering and contact tracing – and rapid communication with close contacts. We define close contacts per the government health department’s definition in the applicable location.
Decision making in relation to quarantining the relevant office or pausing or discontinuing the shoot (as applicable).
Communicating decisions with staff in the relevant office or on the shoot. Our priority will be to deal with these situations in a very time-sensitive manner. This means that we may make an interim communication about closing part or all of the office for a short period, and then updated communications to extend this – once further information is known.
Notifying any third parties, as required (e.g. in some locations we may be obligated to notify government health departments of positive or suspected cases in our workplaces).
Contingency planning with applicable management — e.g. if the office is to be closed for a period of time, or a shoot is to be postponed.
Follow-ups with the VMG staff member who has tested positive or has suspected symptoms, as well as with close contacts. These discussions are handled by HR.

If you are working remotely, and you develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive but have not had any contact with VMG staff, clients or contractors in the past 14 days, we encourage you to still let your HR Business Partner know even if you have no need to come to the office any time so. This is so that we can stay in touch to provide any appropriate support.