Most US government pandemic planners anticipated that the threat would start elsewhere in the world, thus giving organizations and the government fair warning and time to prepare. Unfortunately, as the 1st case was identified in San Diego, CA and additional cases were quickly identified across the nation, that was not the how the situation played out. With the threat level remaining at a phase 6, and the impending fall flu season just around the corner, your organization should be discussing your current plans and policies and adjusting accordingly. In particular, Avalution recommends that you review the strategies in your plans for phases 4-6 to identify any activities that are appropriate for your organization to implement at this time, as well as in the immediate future as cases increase near your workplaces and absenteeism spikes. Though your plans are written as a guide, every strategy should be analyzed for its appropriateness, given the situation in YOUR location(s).
At the organizational level, begin asking questions of your organization, such as “How will our organization respond if employees cannot report to work due to illness, fear, or school closings?” If single points of failure are known, begin knowledge transfer and cross-training activities. Consider publishing any pandemic Human Resources guidelines, and advise business functions to review the pandemic sections/appendices of their plans.
As the United States continues to experience a significant increase in cases of swine influenza, everyone is advised to take basic hygiene recommendations seriously in order to prevent the further spread of the virus. Key elements to consider include:
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Increasing the frequency of cleaning frequently touched areas (bathroom doors, desks, telephones, refrigerator doors, etc);
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Advising all employees to follow proper etiquette when coughing and sneezing;
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Advising employees to avoid unnecessary personal contact (handshakes, hugs), particularly with anyone who appears to be ill;
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Advising employees to stay home if displaying potential influenza symptoms.
If you have not already, communicate out to employees the strategies your organization plans to undertake, as well as communicate out the above hygiene recommendations that they can undertake to protect themselves and their families. Above all, communicating with employees is the most important activity you can undertake to reassure their fears and increase risk-mitigating behaviors. CONTINUOUS EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS ARE CRITICAL.
Other Key Considerations - if applicable to your organization
| Review Your Human Resources Policies |
If your Human Resources policies have not already been assessed during pandemic planning efforts, review the following policies and consider appropriate modifications to enable an effective response:
Employee Absenteeism Policies
- Employee "Send Home/Stay Home/Return to Work" policies
- Employee Compensation/Payroll Continuation policies
- Sick Leave/Personal Time Off (including liberal leave/non-punitive/family care concerns)
- Absenteeism Policy Compliance Tracking and Discipline policies
Employee Worksite Policies
- Telecommuting/Flexible Worksite policies
- Flexible Work Hours/Staggered Shift policies
Hygiene/Personal Protection Policies
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) policies (for both employees and their families)
- Hygiene "Best Practices"
- Social Distancing Policies
- Visitor Restrictions/Bans
- Vaccination Recommendations
Miscellaneous Policies
- Cross-training Critical Position policies (OSHA recommends 3+ for critical positions)
- Childcare Shutdown policies (if applicable)
Once HR policies have been modified (and implemented, if held in reserve when a pandemic is confirmed), COMMUNICATE these policy changes/expectations to employees so they know what to expect and can prepare appropriately. |
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Confirm Your Ability to Work From Home |
If your current pandemic preparedness strategy calls for select members of your organization to work from home, begin evaluating this capability by asking employees to take their laptops home and attempting to access key applications and data sources. Monitor connectivity performance levels to ensure VPNs/Citrix servers can handle the increased activity. |
| Evaluate Additional Resource Needs |
Evaluate your organization's current stock and policy specific to acquiring/distributing mitigation resources (PPE, hospital-grade disinfectant, rubber gloves, additional trash cans, etc).
In addition, evaluate your up-stream supply chain or resource needs to ensure your organization has adequate "safety stock" available in case a supplier is unable to meet your requirements. If possible, identify potential alternate suppliers who may be able to meet your needs following a supplier failure, including vendors who are logistically closer or who have strong business continuity strategies in place. |
| Consider Legal and Regulatory Implications |
Particularly regarding Human Resource policies and concerns, your organization must be very cautious of the legal and regulatory implications of any actions taken. For example, your organization may decide to let non-essential employees or "telework-friendly" positions work from home to reduce workplace interaction. However, some critical tasks require that an employee be onsite to perform this work. Employers should be careful with any new policy changes that could set different requirements for groups of employees without it being an agreed-upon part of the employees' job descriptions. Obtain legal advice regarding pandemic preparedness strategies. |
| Identify Transportation Alternatives |
If your employees are dependent on public transportation, evaluate alternatives in the event this service experiences an interruption. Assess the impact and alternate methods performing essential work activities. |
| Assess Anticipated Product / Service Demand |
It is possible that a pandemic (or the threat of a pandemic) may cause significant demand change for your organization's products and/or services. Your executive management team should analyze how the anticipated behaviors of the public in a public health event (hoarding; focus on necessities; fear of crowded, public places) may affect demand levels and prepare to adjust production/service delivery levels accordingly. |
| Define Essential Travel |
As more countries across the world report their first confirmed cases of swine influenza, consider modifications to your travel policy as appropriate to define "essential travel" and set limitations (if deemed appropriate) on non-essential travel (executive approval, etc). |
As a CDC spokesperson stated in a media call, the responsibility to prepare and mitigate risk occurs at all levels. While there are critical actions that the government must take and are taking, organizations and individuals can SIGNIFICANTLY decrease viral spread by following the general hygiene practices and risk mitigation measures listed above.