Safety First
Our top priority at Marcum has always been to deliver superior service to our clients. To do that in the current environment, we’re taking every precaution possible to protect the health and safety of our team and their families, given the ongoing Coronavirus situation.
As of this writing, we’ve been very lucky that we’ve had no confirmed cases of Coronavirus among any of our team members or in any of the buildings where Marcum has offices.
That said, we have had reports of people both inside the Firm and in some of our buildings voluntarily self-quarantining out of an abundance of caution, because they came into contact with someone who either has the virus or may have been exposed to the virus but has not been confirmed to have it. We’ve encouraged every Marcum team member to contact their HR representative if they or anyone in their household is diagnosed with the Coronavirus.
Unfortunately, no one knows how quickly the virus will spread, when it will peak or when it will subside. We’re staying on top of the news on a moment-to-moment basis to make sure we can plan ahead and react quickly to any new developments. But being realistic, we’re sure it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
We are not taking any chances. Any Marcum associate who is concerned about commuting or being in places with large crowds – or who has a high risk of health complications – is strongly encouraged to work remotely. Above all, anyone who has a fever, who is sneezing or has a cough or just does not feel well has been instructed to stay home and if they can, to work remotely.
Fortunately, Marcum has the technological capability for everyone on our team to work remotely. We’ve encouraged all of our team members to take their laptops home with them every day or to work with our IT team to set up their personal computers so they have full access to our systems and everything they need to work remotely. All of our offices remain open, but this could change at a moment’s notice, so we are staying prepared.
As a further precaution, all Marcum-sponsored networking events are cancelled through April 30. We will reevaluate things at that time. We’ve also advised our staff to reconsider any domestic business travel planned between now and April 30 to make sure it’s absolutely necessary and, if possible, to postpone it or to conduct meetings by video instead. We’re also strongly discouraging any business travel outside of the U.S. until after April 30. I’ve canceled my own April trips to London and Dublin.
And as of this writing, the NBA and NHL have suspended their current seasons indefinitely, Broadway is going dark for the foreseeable future, the government is stopping air flights from much of Europe to the U.S., many colleges are going to online only instruction for the remainder of the semester, several cities and states have banned gatherings of 250 people or more, NYC has canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parade, and I’m sure by the time you read this the list will be much longer. Life as we know it will be different; we just don’t know for how long.
As you are aware, this is Marcum’s busiest time of year, with tax filing and financial statement regulatory deadlines rapidly approaching. We remain committed to making sure our operations continue to run smoothly, and to maintain the quality and timeliness of service that is Marcum’s hallmark.
On behalf of the Marcum team, I thank you sincerely for your understanding and support during this difficult time. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your Marcum professional or to reach out to me directly.
But most important, be smart, get informed, and stay healthy everybody!
