LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some Ford workers could return to Louisville within the next month, but an exact timeline is still up in the air, according to Ford executives who spoke in a press briefing Thursday afternoon.
Ford has two factories in Louisville that employs about 13,000 workers. The company stopped work on March 19, which was the last onsite workday for the employees.
Right now, there’s no concrete timeline for when Ford plans to bring back workers in Louisville and around North America, executives said during an afternoon briefing.
For some virtual workers, or anyone who can do their jobs remotely, they would likely be back in the office to work in June or July. The reason for the vague time frame is because coronavirus is changing every single day, executives said.
“So we want to restart as soon as we can, and do it safely. Restarting the entire auto ecosystem is how we restart the economy,” Jim Farley, Ford's chief operating officer said.
“It’s critical that we get this restart right,” Farley added.
Company execs say safety measures will be strictly enforced. Daily temperature scans and face masks will be the new norm, the executives said. safety measures will be strictly enforced.
Currently, they’re partnering with governments around the world to make sure their decision to reopen is as well-informed as possible.
“We’re actively partnering with governments around the world. We know that partnership is key to informing both the dates, the timing and our approach to the resumption of work,” says Kiersten Robinson, Ford’s chief human resources officer.
Right now, Ford workers in Michigan are contributing to that economic restart by manufacturing medical equipment for people on the frontline.
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