S&S UK staffers to work from home 'until further notice'

Simon & Schuster UK, India and Australia has told all staff they are now "required" to work from home, aligning with policy of its US colleagues.

Ian Chapman, c.e.o. and publisher, told staff over the weekend the decision had been made following "serious consideration" and he was confident the company was well prepared for remote working.

"Events and circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 virus are developing at a rapid pace," he said. "The health and safety of you, your family and loved ones is our utmost priority. Therefore, after giving this serious consideration, we have decided to implement the same policy as our colleagues in the US and require all staff to work from home with effect from Monday, 16th March 2020, until further notice."

He added: "While this is a big step for the company to take, we have been preparing for this moment and are confident that all of our staff will be able to work effectively remotely. Our team has worked hard to ensure that we were in a position to make this decision today in order to keep our staff safe.

"This is an unprecedented time of difficulty for everyone across our industry, not least our authors and particularly those with books publishing in the next few months. We may be working remotely for the time being, but our commitment and resolve to excellence in our publishing is undiminished."

It comes as Hachette and Curtis Brown trial working from home and PRH US staffers also work from home.