In light of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, companies across the industry are pitching in to help in any way they can. Many have directed funds toward charities, others have sought to extricate themselves from financial dealings with aggressors Russia and Belarus.
But then there are some companies that have offices in Ukraine. Key data location service provider, GeoComply, is one of these. While headquartered in Vancouver, it has a vital support office in Kharkiv, a city that is currently bearing the brunt of Russia’s military hostility.
Gaming America reached out to Anna Sainsbury, GeoComply’s Co-Founder and CEO, to get a better idea of what a company can do for its employees at a time like this.
She commented on a multi-pronged prepatory approach: “Since late 2021, we have put a number of measures in place to help ensure our Ukraine team is safely located.
“We’ve also been working with the Canadian Government since the beginning of this year to try to bring team members to Canada, and we simply need our Government to move more quickly in this crisis situation.”
Sainsbury encourages a more streamlined approach be adopted by the Canadian Government in allowing into the country these victims of oppression: “During a war situation, people put family and passports ahead of the more specific paperwork ordinarily required for a Canadian work visa.
“Understanding that certain essential protocols and verifications need to be followed, we are strongly urging federal officials to create streamlined priority immigration applications to expedite the process. We’ve also put measures in place with countries that border the Ukraine (like Poland) to get our team to any safe place. It’s an evolving situation, and we’re working around the clock to help keep our team as safe as possible.”
