More team spirit and high satisfaction among employees

Even though Covid-19 restrictions have turned everyone’s lives upside down and test flexibility to the limits, ESVAGT employees are positive and satisfied.

‘The team spirit they are showing is impressive,’ says Chief Human Resources Officer.

What happens to employee satisfaction in a large shipping company when a global pandemic changes market conditions, upsets daily life and makes something as simple as going to work a logistical puzzle?

Actually, not very much.

ESVAGT has just finished analysing the annual employee satisfaction survey and although responses from the 1,051 employees came in the midst of the pandemic, satisfaction has remained; in some areas, it has even increased:

‘This year has been overshadowed by Covid-9 and the challenges that it has brought, but still the analysis shows that employees are satisfied, happy and proud to work for ESVAGT,’ says Chief Human Resources Officer, Nick Vejlgaard Ørskov:

‘We are drawing on our employees’ flexibility and adaptability and they are taking it on the chin. They are really showing their understanding of the situation, an impressive team spirit and sense of solidarity. It is impressive and encouraging that at the same time, they also express an increase in satisfaction,’ he says.

Stronger sense of solidarity

As supplier of critical infrastructure, ESVAGT has worked non-stop since the Covid-19 outbreak started and although this has meant dealing with complications, travel restrictions and changing plans for the changeover vessels, the pieces have fallen into place every time:

‘ESVAGT operates in six different countries, each with its own set of rules and individual restrictions,’ says Nick Vejlgaard Ørskov:

‘For example, supervision of our two SOV newbuildings in Norway must continue, and everybody involved has shown great patience and loyalty towards the company regarding entry requirements and Covid-19 restrictions’, he continues.

‘Additionally, many of our Danish and sailors from abroad have had to undertake complicated journeys, crossing borders and with varying restrictions so that they can come to work. But they have accepted the situation fully. I am pleased that our foreign sailors are so well integrated in our company that they have taken the company culture on board,’ says Nick Vejlgaard Ørskov, who is also pleased about the praise employees have given the company about how it has handled Covid-19.

Shop steward Dennis Bastholm (photo) agrees that there has been an increase in the sense of community:

‘Solidarity has definitely been boosted. It shows that people accept that Covid-19 is a rubbish situation that we are all stuck with, and there is a clear understanding that we all need to work together to keep the wheels turning until our normal, everyday life returns. People are taking extra rotations and are being really flexible to keep things working,’ says Dennis Bastholm.

The survey was conducted as an impartial Rambøll survey and shows that the overall satisfaction level on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 is up at 4.1, and that – in two out of the seven areas measured – the score has risen slightly compared to 2019.

Although ESVAGT has not been able to fly its employees in for work and has found alternative solutions for crew changes, 98 percent of all crew changes were on time, and less than 1 percent of employees have had to take on extra rotations. On the ’Esvagt Njord’, working as SOV at Dudgeon Offshore Wind park in UK sector, five employees had to work 14 extra days when the Covid-19 mutation from mink brought about a ban on all arrivals from Denmark.