Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers
It took COVID-19 for many organizations to consider pandemic as a valid, plausible scenario
for Business Continuity plans. Before this, many regarded the idea of a real pandemic as a rarity that wouldn't happen at best, or a complete waste of time to plan for at worst. Now, it's a reality we live in and it needs to be accounted for present and future.
So what are some of the things we need to take into account for COVID-19 or any future pandemic that may very well happen?
- Forecast and allow for employee absences during a pandemic due to factors such as personal illness, family member illness, community containment measures and quarantines, school and/or business, closures, and public transportation closures.
- Prepare for a transition to remote and/or offsite working alternate sites
- Implement guidelines to modify the frequency and type of face-to-face contact (e.g. hand-shaking, seating in meetings, office layout, shared workstations) among employees and between employees and
customers (refer to CDC recommendations). - Encourage and track annual influenza vaccination for employees.
- Evaluate employee access to and availability of healthcare services during a pandemic, and improve services as needed.
- Evaluate employee access to and availability of mental health and social services during a pandemic, including corporate, community, and faith-based resources, and improve services as needed.
- Identify employees and key customers with special needs, and incorporate the requirements of such
persons into your preparedness plan.
References
CDC (2005) Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist,
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/pdf/businesschecklist.pdf
Reference Guide
Goh, M. H. (2016). A Manager’s Guide to Implement Your Infectious Disease Business Continuity Plan, 2nd Edition. GMH Pte Ltd.
Do You Want to Continue Training During A Pandemic Outbreak?
Due to the pandemic outbreak, BCM Institute will be conducting its certification courses via interactive video conferencing, online and e-learning mode. Find out more about the Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Crisis Management (CM) Blended Learning (BL) courses.
For this period, the content will include the managing and implementing of the Pandemic Influenza plans.
