When the coronavirus pandemic grounded our industry in early March, we realized that we were in for an unpredictable, anxious, and slow stretch of professional life. The World Travel, Inc., team transitioned to remote work on March 18, but we've retained our entire staff and completely avoided furloughs during this period.
Though we miss collaborating in person every day and wish we could return to the happy levels of busyness in which we thrive, we've been able to grow and help each other through difficult times. Thanks to these efforts, we've maintained our team-focused communication and consideration of each other from afar.
We make the most of our virtual meeting capabilities. We collaborate on projects, discuss new ideas, and have taken care of long-term to-do list items that can finally move to the center of attention. We've tried our best to recreate the office atmosphere we miss, too. We eat lunch with our respective teams, talk life under quarantine, and get to know each other better from home.
We've kept our internal email traditions alive and well to help with this process. Our executives have contributed to our "Think Like an Owner" series with helpful messages and tips for fellow team members. Our Chairman, Jim Wells also shares news and encouragement, and we walk each other through our daily routines with plenty of humor through "Day in the Life of..." emails.
We're reminded of our capabilities and creativity by the projects we've finished and programs we've built throughout the spring and summer. Our WorldWatch proprietary traveler monitoring system enhances traveler safety with data and visibility, while WorldHub Travel and Expense generates savings and streamlines the booking process for small-to-midsize companies.
And finally, we've used our downtime to learn. Since March, our employees have completed over 10,000 hours of virtual training on topics ranging from internal systems refreshers to pandemic-related exchanges. These sessions have helped us ensure that we will be able to offer our clients an even higher level of service when they're ready to travel again.
In the midst of the tragedy and difficulty of the pandemic, we've seen that working together and caring for each other can make all the difference.
