VANCOUVER — Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle told employees Monday that since they are forgoing any raises for the next three months and seeing the temporary suspension of the company’s matching portion of the employee share plan over the same time frame, he will donate three full months of his own salary to help support front-line healthcare workers fighting against Covid-19.
“As we do our very best to navigate a new world created by this challenging global pandemic, the past three weeks have certainly been unprecedented for our team and company,” wrote Entwistle in a Monday morning internal email to Telus management team members obtained by Cartt.ca. “You have worked expeditiously, skillfully and diligently to ensure the continuous support of our customers, our communities and importantly, one another. The way in which our entire team has responded, with passion, ingenuity and an extraordinary sense of urgency, has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
The CEO also thanked employees for embracing “the necessity underpinning the three-month deferral of salary increases and temporary suspension of the matching portion of our employee share plan.”
As well, beyond Entwistle donating three months of his $1.375 million annual salary to healthcare workers battling Covid-19, “the Entwistle Family Foundation will match this donation stemming from my 100 per cent salary reduction so that we are able to double the positive financial impact our support will have on our caregivers and, by extension, those vulnerable citizens who need our assistance the most,” Entwistle wrote in the email.
“This matched contribution will also support funding for our Internet for Good student programme, which offers youth from kindergarten to grade 12 in British Columbia and Alberta high-speed internet at home for only $9.95 per month, ensuring students stay connected to vital learning opportunities whilst home from school. Through this donation, we are pleased to be able to demonstrate our deep admiration for everything our team has done to support our first responders, our young people and each other throughout this crisis,” reads the email.
The CEO’s family foundation has already donated over $500,000 to numerous charitable organisations such as the Royal Conservatory of Music, Moisson Outaouais, Ottawa Food Bank, VGH/UBC Foundation, Britannia Woods, Maison de la Famille Nouvelle-Beauce, Zero Ceiling, High Level Fire Department, High Level Public Library, La Crete Fire and Rescue, and Fort Vermilion Fire and Rescue, as well as the Telus Friendly Future Foundation.
“We have built a uniquely compassionate and collegial culture at Telus, which is reflected in every action our team has taken over the past three weeks (and so many more before that). In this regard, let’s continue to formally recognise those team members who have gone above and beyond during this trying time,” wrote Entwistle.
“We are truly all in this together.”
