“Nobody will be laid off – if need be, I’ll waive my salary”
German oil and additive specialist Liqui Moly has released a statement to say that no workers will be laid off during the coronavirus outbreak. “If need be, I’ll waive my salary,” says Ernst Prost, managing director.
The news comes not long after Prost gave a €1,000 staff bonus to each of its workers worldwide – a sign of confidence designed to boost motivation within the firm.
“Fear and worry are hard to live with, let alone accomplish great things,” says Prost in the statement. “That’s why I promised them that they would not have to suffer financial losses. No one is to be dismissed!”
The guarantee applies to all of Liqui Moly’s employees in Germany as well as subsidiaries in Spain and Portugal, Italy, France, South Africa and the USA. In addition, there are employees in Denmark, Great Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands, Thailand, China, Japan and India.
“Not only is business global, so is responsibility. All around the globe, our colleagues must be able to feed their families,” says Prost.
“On the other hand, we are trying to keep operations going for as long as possible – an exhausting but necessary balancing act,” he adds. This presupposes the proper functioning of the supply chains in procurement as well as in sales. “As long as this is guaranteed, we will keep production going.”
Due to the protective measures against the coronavirus, Prost says the decline in orders at Liqui Moly is drastic and revenues are correspondingly low. The company must generate a payroll including social security contributions of around €57m for the current year.
“These are the tasks we have been facing around the clock for days now,” says Prost. “If the situation demands it, I will forgo my salary. Everyone must make sacrifices; the captain has to set an example, so that the crew can trust him.”
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