ViacomCBS Australia Temporarily Closes Darlinghurst Office in Sydney Over Coronavirus Fears

ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand has sent staff at its Darlinghurst office in Sydney home due to fears that people in their office may have been exposed to the coronavirus, following an employee’s potential exposure to the coronavirus. ViacomCBS' Darlinghurst office houses networks such as Nickelodeon and MTV. Sources have told The Australian Financial Review the decisions were made on Thursday 5th March 2020.

Network Ten in Pyrmont, which is owned by ViacomCBS following the merger of CBS and Viacom in December, has not been affected.

Both OMD and Foxtel Media offices closed late last week, reopening earlier this week in as a precautionary measure after exposure to a suspected case of coronavirus. Testing came back as negative and staff at both companies are back in the offices. The London office of OMD was also shut but has since reopened.

A ViacomCBS Networks Australia spokesman said the company has been informed about a possible exposure to the virus.

"This individual has not been diagnosed with the virus and is currently seeking medical advice," he said.

"The safety and well-being of staff is the company’s number one priority. Therefore, as a pre-caution, ViacomCBS has temporarily closed its Darlinghurst office and instructed all employees to work remotely until further information is available."

Update (18/3) - From AdNews:

ViacomCBS' tools and tips for working at home in Covid-19 lockdown

As the industry directs staff to work at home, keeping remote teams connected, cohesive and motivated is crucial.

One of the first to order work from home, ViacomCBS' office in Sydney's Darlinghurst - the base for about 120 employees working across the MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Spike businesses - launched tools and policies to keep its remote workforce ticking.

"We utilised Microsoft Teams across MTV, Nickelodeon, Shared Services and management for video conferencing and messaging and we're piloting remote editing platforms to ensure content production work flows are not interrupted," a spokesperson says.

"All Monday morning stand up meetings shifted to video up format.

"Best practice guidelines were shared with all staff, they were upskilled on the use of video conferencing platforms and provided with 24/7 tech support.

"We encouraged all team members to utilise the `availability' function to set working hours (and, so, avoid being always ‘on’).

"There was a daily 9 am check in among sales team members – to set the agenda for the day, co-ordinate activity and actions, as well as create a sense of normalcy by starting the day seeing each other’s faces.

A dedicated COVID-19 resource portal is available on intranet, that includes tips and check lists for working remotely, resources on managing stress and anxiety, and updated health information.

"We also took our regular wellness sessions offered to staff virtual, working with vendors to provide video-based exercise, mindfulness and meditation classes.

"And we exploring ways to convert the regular Friday afternoon drinks trolley and raffle in to a virtual experience!"

"As a result of these measures, all linear television channels and digital and social platforms programmed out of the office are fully operational and have continued operation without interruption.

"Clients serviced by teams based in Darlinghurst include advertisers, distribution partners, music labels, production partners, promoters, licensees, retailers, and more."

Says Ben Richardson, SVP/GM of Pay Networks, ViacomCBS Networks Australia and New Zealand: “Staying focused on keeping staff healthy and safe is our number one priority, and we’ve seen remarkable adaptability by our team in response to shifting to a remote working environment.

"Staff have embraced the platforms we are providing to maintain productivity and keep a ‘business as usual’ approach, which is encouraging.”

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More Nick: ViacomCBS Consumer Products Showcases Expanded Portfolio at 2020 Melbourne Toy Fair Partner Presentation!

Originally published: Friday, March 06, 2020.

H/T: Mediaweek, AdNews.

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