Advertising giant WPP, which has more than 500 employees in Manchester, has told staff to work from home to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Mark Read, the company’s global CEO, sent an email to all staff at the end of last week which read: “Next week your leadership teams will provide you with more detailed information on the roll-out of Managed Remote Working in your company, what it means for you and how we will support you.
“It is important to state that we remain open for business. I have great faith in each of you to adapt to this new way of working and know we will continue to meet our responsibilities to our clients and each other.
“The next few months will be tough, but I have every confidence in our ability to come through this situation together.”
Staff who have to come into their offices are being urged to use safe distancing and hygiene protocols.
WPP is the world’s biggest advertising company with 130,000 employees. It employs more than 500 people in Manchester at its agencies MediaCom, Wavemaker, Kinetic, Code Computerlove and Cheetham Bell.
Last year WPP agreed a 15-year lease for a new “campus” building in Enterprise City, which includes the site of the former Granada Studios.
The eight-floor building – to be designed by WPP-owned BDG architecture + design – includes a roof terrace, café, bar and events area and will have space for 800 people when it is ready in 2022.
