Helping business prepare for a pandemic

Even though more than 80 per cent of Canadian companies with 500+ employees are concerned about the impact of a flu pandemic on their business, half of them have no pandemic plan. According to the results of a national survey released today, roughly 40 per cent of companies without a plan do intend to create one. However, one third (33 per cent) of all companies are not even thinking about pandemic planning.

Of those companies with a plan, only 1% of them have accounted for the 15 key components authorities and experts generally recommend for a complete pandemic plan. These components – recommended by agencies such the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, and the B.C. Ministry of Health – include minimization of direct interaction between employees; identification of key employees and critical functions; extra stock of critical supplies; a diversified stockpile of antiviral medications for employees; and factoring in school/daycare closure and transportation disruptions into absenteeism projections. Of the companies included in the survey, on average only eight of the 15 key components were addressed in their plans.

Check that existing contingency plans are applicable to a pandemic, and that core business activities can be sustained over several weeks in the event of high employee absenteeism.

Plan accordingly for interruptions of essential governmental services like sanitation, water, power, and disruptions to the food supply.

Identify your organization’s essential functions and the individuals who perform them.

Build in the training redundancy necessary to ensure that work can be done in the event of an absentee rate of 25-30 percent.

Maintain a healthy work environment by ensuring adequate air circulation and posting tips on how to stop the spread of germs at work.

Promote handwashing, and coughing and sneezing etiquette. Ensure wide and easy availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products.

Determine which outside activities, such as transportation systems, are critical to maintaining operations and develop alternatives in case they cannot function normally.

Establish or expand policies and tools that enable employees to work from home with appropriate security and network access to applications.

Expand online and self-service options for customers and business partners.

Tell employees about pandemic influenza and the steps the organization is taking to prepare for it.

Encourage employees to stay home if they are sick to stop the spread of illness, and update sick leave, and family and medical leave policies. Concern about lost wages is the largest deterrent to self-quarantine.