British yacht builder Princess Yachts Ltd has announced a controlled shutdown of its UK facilities, with immediate effect.

The yard released the following statement on 24^th March:

“The health and safety of our employees is of paramount importance and is our main priority, along with our network, suppliers and international clientele. We also take our role and responsibilities within the local community very seriously.

In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday (23rd March 2020) and in compliance with the latest government guidelines, we would like to update you on the steps that Princess Yachts will now be taking to respond to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

• There will be a safe and orderly ‘controlled shutdown’ of all sites, starting with immediate effect

• In accordance with government guidelines a significant majority of our employees will be classified as ‘furloughed’ for the foreseeable future of which the terms and conditions will be communicated to the relevant individuals in due course. If classified as a furloughed worker this means that the employee will be on the Princess payroll and will remain employed, rather than being laid off. In compliance with this scheme, employees should not undertake work while they are furloughed

• Princess Yachts is a vertically complex manufacturer, as such during this period, a very limited number of employees will be performing critical safety operations in order to complete a safe and isolated shutdown. Strict social distancing protocols will be in place and stringently adhered to during this short period

• We have been in regular communication with the Works Committee and they have agreed to the actions that we are taking

“It’s worth noting that since the initial remote working initiative was advised by the government, all Princess employees able to work from home and able to perform in their roles are currently doing so.

“We champion the government’s efforts in response to the covid-19 pandemic and encourage all staff to comply with Public Health England (PHE) advice to ensure we can eventually return to normal operations after these challenging times.”

For more information, visit Princess Yachts. Sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Yachting Pages delivered direct to your inbox every month.

Source: IBI