High Alert: Companies Prepare for Swine Flu Pandemic Amid Rising Health Threat

Strategic Insights -

As health officials continue to raise the alert level on the swine flu pandemic, savvy business leaders are taking proactive steps to update and activate their emergency action plans. With the threat of a global health crisis looming large, companies are revisiting and refining their existing plans to ensure a seamless response to the pandemic. This includes guidance on employee attendance, pay policies, return-to-work requirements, travel restrictions, on-site child-care policies, on-site vendor policies, internal communications, and employee question handling.

Key Takeaways:

  • Nearly one-third of companies do not have a policy in place when an employee has come into contact with an ill person outside of their household.
  • Existing action plans and checklists created during the SARS and Avian Flu outbreaks include guidance on workforce management, pay policies, and return-to-work requirements.
  • Companies such as Sprint Nextel, Microsoft, Roche, PSE&G, and General Electric have already implemented flu pandemic contingency plans.
  • Best Practices, LLC is offering timely resources to help companies update or create their disaster management plans, including a primary research study on "Managing Workforce Issues During a Flu-Like Pandemic."
  • The study, conducted by Best Practices' GLOBAL BENCHMARKING COUNCIL, addresses critical organizational preparedness topics.

Statistics:

  • Nearly one-third of companies (32.4%) do not have a policy in place for employees who come into contact with an ill person outside of their household (Source: Best Practices, LLC).
  • 45% of companies have a policy requiring employees to stay home if they have come into contact with an ill person (Source: Best Practices, LLC).
  • The study found that 21% of companies have a policy requiring employees to provide medical documentation before returning to work (Source: Best Practices, LLC).

Sources:

  • CNN and other news outlets
  • Best Practices, LLC
  • The study "Managing Workforce Issues During a Flu-Like Pandemic" (Best Practices, LLC)
  • NewsRx.com