Considerations When Reviewing Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Protocols

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm, but it is only the latest in a long line of modern pandemics that have plagued us across the years. Cases of pandemic influenza or infectious diseases have occurred locally or regionally since the start of the century, and let us not forget the 1918 Spanish Flu that infected nearly 500 million people. Pandemics are not going to go away, and there is an urgent need to review your organisation's existing protocols for managing pandemic influenza or infectious disease.

Some of these protocols concern the issues of medical leave, travel suspension, offsite and remote working activities, reporting of cases, dress code, remote working, distribution of PPEs. etc.

Do note that the guidelines below pertain to pandemics in a general sense. They do not fully reflect the current COVID-19 crisis but are used as a guideline for your plans with regards to general pandemics.

Leave (Personal and Medical)

Are there special arrangements for staff members who are on medical leave?
Do you have special leave to look after children not at school or for pregnant employees?
Are the employees on paid or unpaid leave under such conditions?
Should the organization encourage staff to take normal leave where operationally feasible?

Travel

Is there a need to reduce levels of business travel?
How to increase the use of videoconferencing/ teleconferencing?
Are you able to identify the infected or restricted countries?
Do you have the means to ensure that local measures are adhered to?
Can you implement precautionary quarantine measures required to/from countries?
Can you review the monitoring process for travelling by staff?
Are you able to develop a staff tracking system (if necessary)?

Organization of Off-site Activities

Are you able to identify and postpone sales and promotional activities which require interaction?
Can the sales team operate using teleconferencing instead of face-to-face visits?
Have you identified essential training if the incident is prolonged?
Are you able to carry out the essential training under these trying conditions?
Can the use of teleconferencing for inter-departmental communications be maximized?

The Reporting of Suspected and Confirmed Cases

Have you identified the focal point of contact once the plan is activated?
What information is required during each reporting of a case?
What are the considerations for data privacy issues?
Have you identified guidelines for arranging advised medical procedures?
Have you catered for ongoing support to those affected and their families?
How does the staff re-integrate into the workplace once they have recovered?

Dress Codes

Is there a requirement for more frequent washing of clothes in organizations where uniforms are necessary?

Management of ‘Split-Site’ Moves

Have you identified the person who authorizes the split of high priority or high-risk departments between two locations?
How the splitting is administered during activation?
Is the splitting of the site for critical headcounts only?
Do you want to use canteen areas and training rooms set aside as backup locations for ‘normal’ disasters? Should a restaurant, eating areas or training rooms be used as backup locations for ‘normal’ disasters?
Are the monthly reports of vacant space maintained?

The Use of Remote Means of Working

Who will be able to work from home productively and who authorizes this?
How will the sudden increase in remote access to computer networks be managed?
Is there a need to prepare instructions for self-installation at home?

The Ordering and Distribution of Health and Safety Consumables

Who is the focal point of ordering the consumables?
Does this entity have access to a wide variety of sources worldwide during high demand?
How are stocks replenished?
Who pays for them?
Who should prioritize the allocation? E.g. Staff members who need to face customers.

Cleaning and Facilities Management

Is there a need to increase the frequency and levels of cleaning in washrooms, lifts, stairways, work areas and common areas?
What special cleaning requirement is involved in work areas of suspected or confirmed cases of Infectious Disease?
Can ventilation and filtration within the building be enhanced?

The Use of a Single Cost Centre Budget

Is everything placed through one cost centre for re-allocation at a later date?
Can the cost centre be quickly activated and funded?

Data Centre Management

Is the staff split between main data centres and backup data centres?
Are hygiene procedures rigorously enforced in these critical IT areas?

Managing Alternative Delivery Channels

Is there any process to increase other channels when customers and partners avoid existing “shop front”?
Is there an urgent need to review the resilience of the additional loading of the service due to the anticipated increased use of the electronic or internet channels?

Payment to Permanent and Part-time Staff

During a Pandemic Influenza or Infectious Disease outbreak, most staff will stay home if they are sick. Organizations should address the following issues:

What is the policy when many staff members stay home?
What if the staff members insist on coming to work because they fear losing wages or their jobs?
Will the organization continue to pay wages if the employee is sick, quarantined or cannot report to work if the employee is being paid on an hourly basis?

Source: Appendix 1 pp. 74 from Goh, M. H. (2016). A Manager’s Guide to Implement Your Infectious Disease Business Continuity Plan (2nd ed.) . Singapore: GMH Pte Ltd.