Like the rest of America, Benchmark has had to rethink its business processes to cope with life during a pandemic.  In mid-March Governor J.B. Pritzker declared construction an essential Illinois industry.  For Benchmark this declaration meant figuring out new ways to keep its field and office employees safe.  We started by providing all of our field employees with instruction on CDC guidelines, along with masks, gloves, and sanitizing equipment for each crew.  Office personnel were put on a revised schedule to ensure that employees were able to work either remotely or in a space with less than ten people.  As a final step, Benchmark hired a remote lab to test all employees for an active COVID-19 infection or evidence of antibodies to the virus.  This testing took place in early May and provided our staff with both piece of mind and science-backed evidence to facilitate any future virus-related decision making.  There is nothing that means more to us than the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of our people.