COVID-19: How we are responding across Shell Canada

Mar. 17, 2020

Today is Saint Patrick’s Day. Like many Canadians of Irish heritage, I will be marking this day in a less traditional way by practicing social distancing and staying home with my family to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I will also be continuing to oversee the hard work that our dedicated teams in Shell Canada are doing to address this challenging and uncertain time.

As COVID-19 continues to impact communities across Canada, I want to take a moment to share some of the actions our company is taking to help “flatten the curve”; focusing on the health and safety of our people and customers, and the safe operations of our businesses. For example:

  • We are requiring employees in non-business critical roles to work from home. If a role is considered critical and cannot be performed offsite, we have protocols in place to prevent exposure. For example, we are applying guidelines on social distancing and increased cleaning measures.
  • We are stopping business travel inside and outside of Canada, and restricting visitors to our operating sites.
  • We are providing regular updates to employees and giving them resources and information to support their work and well-being, including new policies to help them and their families cope.
  • While Shell gas stations remain open across the country, Shell retailers are taking every precaution to safeguard the health and safety of retail associates and customers.
  • We have business continuity plans in place to meet the needs of our employees, customers and partners.

Shell has been serving Canadians for more than 100 years and our gas stations provide essential services, including fuel and other necessities, in times of crisis. I encourage you to read our note to customers from my colleague Andrea Brecka, the head of our Canadian retail business, to find out more about what we are doing to keep our customers and retail associates safe.

I appreciate that this is a distracting and concerning time for everyone. I am encouraging Shell employees to do the right thing for themselves and their families, and put families first.

As an energy provider, we are committed to maintaining safe operations, to help Canadians get access to the energy needed for their daily lives.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow advice from public health authorities to help ensure the ongoing well-being of our employees, customers and local communities.

Michael Crothers
Shell Canada President and Country Chair