The 4A's has implemented a work-from-home policy for its employees, restricted travel and in-person meetings, and postponed its annual Decisions 20/20 summit from April 20-21 to early 2021 and its Management Practitioners Forum from March 30-31 to fall 2020. Now it has issued guidance for agencies navigating business in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The guidance includes resources including an MIT Sloan Management Review on how companies can respond to the pandemic; an infographic from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on how to guard yourself from disease; and research from Forrester on employee sentiment around coronavirus (29 percent say they fear going into the office) and best technology to use to work remotely.Ultimately though, The 4A's said "each of our member agencies must make the best decisions for their employees and businesses."

The guidance also includes sample agency communications messaging on coronavirus from two 4A's members that other shops can use. That messaging includes taking additional sanitation precautions around the office should it remain open; telling employees to stay home if they're sick; and encouraging employees to work from home if they traveled to a region with a coronavirus outbreak or are around someone who has.

It also provided guidance on how to advise clients during this time: "The impact will be smaller for clients that don’t directly face the public but may still be felt due to shifts in things like industry conference rescheduling. We will have to be flexible and understanding of the challenges our clients may face as their plans shift. We encourage you to think proactively on behalf of our clients about things we can do to assist them in handling their marketing in this evolving environment."

The full message can be found on The 4A's website.