In a pandemic year, Bayer stepped up by not only realigning communication and leadership strategies, but also trying to improve financial security, safety standards and inclusion for employees
D Narain, senior Bayer representative, South Asia, was heartened to see employees taking charge in many situations during the pandemic to ensure smooth functioning
Being a pharmaceutical and crop science company working in the areas of agriculture, health and nutrition, Bayer was categorised as an essential services organisation in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
D Narain, senior Bayer representative, South Asia, says in the wake of the nationwide lockdown, the company leadership rushed to put up a digital infrastructure to enable work from home, while ensuring uninterrupted operations in factories and enhanced safety norms for employees. The mandate of the leadership task force was cut out, when Narain saw a heartening development: Employees taking charge. “In a number of situations, we [leaders] did not even have to step in. The factory managers rolled up their sleeves and empowerment across levels kicked in without even us having to tell them what to do,” he says. “It was as if employees wanted to take personal responsibility during the Covid-19 crisis to make sure that we, as a company, did not drop the ball.”
“ We did not make any changes to salaries, and ensured employees are paid on time. We also went ahead with planned promotions and short-term incentives.”
KS Harish, country group HR head, South Asia, Bayer
(This story appears in the 26 March, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)