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PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS FOR BUSINESSES

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11.1            Bird Flu is a very human issue, and ultimately will be a very human tragedy. It is the workforce which will be directly affected by Bird Flu, not systems, machinery or physical locations.

11.2            Systems, machinery and physical locations will of course eventually fail if they do not receive workforce intervention for preventative maintenance or repair management.

11.3            The World Health Organisation advises that management should plan for up to 50% workforce absences for periods of about two weeks at the height of a pandemic wave and lower levels of workforce absence for a few weeks either side of the peak.

11.4            Either way, the strain on current workforce management will be enormous. Unless adequate plans are made to replace and cover for absent critical staff, business operations will start to fail.

11.5            Care must be taken when making contingency plans for employees. There will be a tendency for staff to feel their positions may be under threat. "Why would they make plans to have someone else do my job?"

11.6            Therefore consider open discussions on workforce management with staff on:

11.6.1            Deputy management training - ensure all critical positions have a deputy manager trained to oversee operations when the incumbent is absent from work.

11.6.2            Back up staff - contact retired or ex-employees and management who may agree to work on a temporary basis if the incumbent is absent from work.

11.6.3            Outsourcing Human Resources - consider what internal functions may be out-sourced in the incumbent is absent from work.

11.6.4            Succession planning - all critical employees and management should have succession planning in place. Analyse your current succession planning strategy and fill any gaps that may exist.

11.6.5            Leave arrangements - it is common workforce management practice to declare 'no leave' periods in high season or to encourage the workforce to take leave during low season. Consider asking staff to save leave for a time when they may not be able to come to the office anyway.

11.6.6            Agreed unpaid leave - it is common workforce management practice for Companies to ask staff to take unpaid leave, particularly in times of crisis. Consider asking staff to volunteer to take unpaid leave when they may not be able to come to the office anyway.

11.6.7            Cross utilisation - endeavour to train staff and management across multiple functions and skill sets. This will allow flexibility when assigning staff to fill roles of absent employees.

11.6.8            Interim Management - prepare 'temporary' management arrangements so that should senior managers become absent you can call upon the required skill sets to caretake positions until the manager's return.

11.6.9            Return of 'immune' employees - employees who have caught and survived Bird Flu will be immune to the strain and can be deployed at front line areas without fear of repeat infection.

11.6.10         Employment ordinance - it is the employer's responsibility to provide a safe working environment for its workforce. Whilst this is a very 'grey area' when it comes to Bird Flu, there were instances after SARS where employers were held liable. The insurance industry paid out over US$15m in SARS related claims. Check your corporate health care insurance exclusions.

11.6.11         Adopting the advice included in this section, with particular attention to protection measures, should assist employers with their regulatory compliance. Please note however, It’s is the employer's responsibility to ensure they are complying with their local employment requirements.

11.7            An influenza pandemic may affect regions of the world differently in terms of timing, severity and duration. Some regions may be hit earlier, longer or harder. Businesses with overseas or regional offices may need to consider rotating service delivery from hard hit areas to influenza-free areas, or areas that have been declared to be in a post-pandemic period. Restrictions on movement of people from region to region may be imposed, and rotation of staff may therefore be difficult.

11.8            Businesses with overseas offices, or which have outsourcing human resources arrangements from overseas (e.g. call centres), may be disproportionately affected. Not all countries have the means to cope with a pandemic. Employees and staff contracted overseas may have increased rates of illness and absence.

11.9            Staff Travel Policy

11.9.1         Once a pandemic is recognised, the border and ports may immediately be closed to all incoming persons (including crew), possibly for several days.

11.9.2         It is likely that quarantine measures will be instituted before movements resume. It is possible that all incoming people will be required to complete at least 8 days quarantine in specially designated places before being allowed landside.

11.9.3         If staff travel overseas for business reasons, the plan will need to include consideration of their management in the event of a pandemic. For example, on declaration of a pandemic, if any staff had recently (within the last 4-5 days) travelled to countries known to be affected by the disease, the company should:

11.9.4         Advise the employee not to report for work for the duration of the quarantine period. Ask them to follow instructions for self-checking for influenza symptoms, which may include advice to telephone (rather than visit) their doctor to seek advice immediately if symptoms occur. They should report their travel history to the treating doctor. Ask them to document all the people they have been in contact with.

11.9.5         Check on the staff member during his/her absence from work.

11.9.6         Set up a process for ensuring that the employee has completed the time duration and is healthy before allowing them to return to work.

11.9.7         Border closures overseas may also cause disruption to return travel.

11.10        Review company insurance coverage and check what exclusions are in place.

11.11        Consider setting up crisis counseling for staff. Volunteers will very likely exist within the current employee base. Staff who have contracted Bird Flu and recovered will be a great resource for crisis counselors.

11.12        If possible provide day-care facilities for staff who are unable to come to work due to schools being closed and there being no one to care for their children.

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