Prepare Your Business For a Pandemic

There is a significant and growing threat that a pandemic influenza outbreak could become a reality in the United States.  The news has been filled with predictions for the next flu pandemic that has left many wondering what the effects will be on them.  International organizations and governments have repeatedly warned: businesses will be left to their own devices to manage the crisis. Therefore, as with all other risks that the business community must face, including workplace violence, infrastructure outages, terrorism and natural disasters, it is essential that businesses adequately prepare for the flu pandemic. 

According to a survey released by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and the ERISA Industry Committee, although U.S. companies believe that an influenza pandemic is a real threat, two-thirds believe they are inadequately prepared to protect themselves.  Conducted in November, 2005, the survey found that:

• 57% of companies surveyed believe a pandemic flu presents a real threat to the United States;
• 73% said that their company could use help understanding what it should to do plan for a pandemic flu outbreak;
• 39% believed that there wasn’t much a company could do to prepare itself for a pandemic flu outbreak; and
• 40% said there is a high probability that a pandemic flu outbreak would adversely affect their business.

“American businesses are beginning to recognize that a pandemic flu outbreak would present a clear and present danger to their employees, their operations and their bottom lines,” said Tommy G. Thompson, the independent chairman of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. “All segments of society have a role to play in making sure we are prepared to cope with a pandemic flu or any public health emergency, and that includes the business community.” (Businesses Believe Pandemic Flu a Threat, But Few Prepared. Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. 2005.)

Planning Assumptions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that among working adults, an average of 20% will become ill during an outbreak, although illness rates will be highest among school-aged children (about 40%) and decline with age. In a severe pandemic, absenteeism attributable to illness, the need to care for ill family members, and fear of infection may reach 40% during the peak weeks of an outbreak.  It is estimated that a pandemic outbreak will last about 6 to 8 weeks, and multiple waves (periods during which outbreaks occur across the country) of illness could occur with each wave lasting two to three months. Click here to read more about the CDC’s Pandemic Planning Assumptions.

When an influenza pandemic occurs, many people will become sick at the same time and will be unable to go to work.  Many more will stay at home to care for sick family members.  Schools and businesses might close to try to prevent the disease from spreading further. Public transportation might be shut down.  These are examples of challenges that local communities, schools, organizations, and businesses will have to work together to plan for a pandemic response. 

Few, if any, industries will be shielded from the economic effects of increased absenteeism, supply chain and/or travel disruptions.  Do you know how your business would be affected by pandemic influenza? 

The Pandemic Preparedness Plan
Business owners and managers must become knowledgeable about the risks associated with the influenza pandemic and its characteristics.  Once they are able to understand the disease, they can begin to work through the logical social and economic impacts of the outbreak on their businesses.  

A business’s existing business continuity plan (BCP) should be integrated with a pandemic preparedness plan, and be flexible enough to deal with changing circumstances of a pandemic.  A plan that prepares the business for a pandemic must consider not only the business impact, but also how to protect employees and customers from the illness, how to allocate resources, and how to coordinate with external organizations, including local and regional governments.  A thorough plan will also establish policies for and engage employees in the ongoing preparation for a pandemic. 

Utilize the following thought processes to begin developing your pandemic preparedness plan:

1. Identify essential business activities
1. Determine when to engage the pandemic preparedness plan
   • When a pandemic is declared?
   • When there is 10% absenteeism?
   • When suppliers and/or customers are affected?
2. Anticipate customer needs and expectations
3. Plan for multiple scenarios that may increase or decrease the demand for your products or services during a pandemic
4. Determine impact on business-related travel and/or transportation services
5. Establish a crisis communications plan
   • Draft pre-planned media statements
   • Explain organizational strategies clearly to all employees
   • Utilize the intranet, email and internet-based technologies to keep all employees, vendors and customers apprised of the changing situation
   • Employees should be kept informed of how coworkers who are away from work are progressing
6. Periodically exercise and test your plan, and revise accordingly

2. Identify core employees and skills
1. Determine which employees have key skills that are vital to the continued functioning of the business.  Be sure to look at all levels of the company, not just upper and middle management.  Do not overlook clerical and maintenance employees.  
2. Establish a policy which gives a clear definition of absenteeism.
3. Develop an alternative workforce plan to deal with increased absenteeism:
   • Telecommuting and videoconferencing policies
   • Travel policies
   • Flexible work hours
   • Alternative worksites and capacity thereof
   • Internet and telephonic capacity
   • VoIP or cellular phone policies
4. Train backup staff and personnel

3. Identify how to mitigate business interruptions
1. Develop a plan to deal with decreased production, service delivery, and supply resources
2. Determine which suppliers are crucial to continue operations. 
   • Are your suppliers prepared for an outbreak? 
   • If they are not, how would your business cope?
3. Determine whether the company’s online and telephone systems can handle a sudden surge in demand

4. Identify how to minimize illness in workers and customers
1. Develop a plan to assist employees with emotional impact of pandemic, including death of loved ones and coworkers
2. Review insurance coverage for employees and their families
3. Determine policies for employee aid provisions (food, medicine, shelter, etc.)
4. Consider impact of in-house daycare facilities
5. Determine whether the facilities ventilation and filtration systems are adequate to handle an outbreak

The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and CDC have developed checklists to assist businesses, state and local governments, individuals and families, schools, faith-based and community organizations, and the health care industry to plan and prepare for a pandemic.  Click here to download the HHS/CDC business pandemic preparedness plan checklist.  Click here for other checklists.

Conclusion
Researchers around the world agree that it is not a question of if a pandemic influenza outbreak should occur, but when will it occur.  History has shown that when a pandemic strikes, it does so quickly and lethally.  Business owners and managers must act now to protect their employees and businesses from utter disaster.