When it comes to American’s anxiety about swine flu, Hollywood hasn’t done us any favors. Thanks to movies like “Outbreak” and shows like “24,” when we hear the word pandemic we can’t help but imagine people wearing hazmat suits carrying locked briefcases filled with a scarce supply of some life-saving antidote.
No one wants that kind of drama in real life, yet after the sudden outbreak and rapid spread of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) in March and April, the World Health Organization signaled in June that a global pandemic of the virus, better known of course as swine flu, was underway by raising the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6, its highest level of alert. While the WHO is quick to point out that this reflects the probable spread of the disease rather than the severity of illness itself, a pandemic is predicted all the same.
That does not mean people need to panic. However, as companies and schools around the country try as best they can to prepare for the full effects of a pandemic, we are already starting to see people become infected long before the normal peak of flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) are already higher than average for this time of year and are increasing nationally, and influenza hospitalization rates for adults and children, while lower than seasonal rates, are higher than normal for this time of year. The CDC is an excellent source of information on the status of swine flu, as well as what companies need to consider when attempting to plan for its impact.
Despite all the information out there, however, not even the CDC truly knows what to expect, so how do employers prepare for the unknown? They do what they can do – they establish a plan of attack, and then they stay informed and remain flexible.
In establishing a plan, you should try to balance two key objectives: 1.) protect your employees, and the general public, by preventing the spread of disease; and 2.) maintain your company’s business continuity. While no plan is sure proof, there are a number of things you can do to help meet these objectives.
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Put a team in place to establish your company’s response plan. Have them be responsible for working with local health agencies to monitor the status of influenza in the area. They should also determine what procedures and triggers you will use to activate your company plan. For example, under what conditions would you temporarily relocate or shut down operations? It may never be necessary, but it is better that it be considered in advance than be recommended by local officials or demanded by nervous employees in the midst of a crisis.
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Prevent the spread of germs by encouraging sanitary practices in the work place. Remind employees to wash hands regularly, and if possible, provide them ready access to hand sanitizers and tissues. You may also want to consider increasing the frequency for cleaning and disinfecting common areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.
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Promote healthy habits. Encourage your employees to get flu shots. Perhaps your company could help by subsidizing the cost of flu shots or arranging to have shots administered in your building for the convenience of your employees. When employees are not feeling well or demonstrating flu-like symptoms, encourage them to see a doctor immediately. Too often people postpone a doctor’s visit because of work obligations, and all the while they are spreading their illness to coworkers.
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Plan ahead to minimize your employees’ exposure to the flu. If an employee is sick, persuade them to stay home. Allow parents with sick children to stay away from the office as well. Despite what might amount to a temporary inconvenience, your employee will feel more at ease by being able to care for his or her child and will also be less likely to carry the illness into the workplace.
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Prepare now to ensure your company’s business continuity. Depending on the severity of a regional outbreak, it could become necessary for public health officials to call for social distancing. In other words, to prevent the spread of the illness, authorities might recommend a variety of methods to increase the physical distance between people, such as closing schools or child care facilities, canceling large business gatherings, limiting nonessential travel, or recommending work-from-home strategies. Any or all of these could have significant impact on your employees and your business operations. Consider now whether you can establish practices, such as flexible worksites or schedules, to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees and others if social distancing strategies are enacted. Ensure that you have the IT infrastructure needed to support employees working from home. Also, consider essential business functions, job responsibilities, or supply chain requirements that are critical to maintaining business operations. Arrange now for how your business will operate if any of these elements are interrupted due to excessive illness or absenteeism.
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Finally, communicate your company’s plan. Your employees will be comforted knowing that the company is prepared for the possible pandemic, but more importantly, they need to be aware of the triggers that will prompt your company to activate its response plan and understand how they will be notified should that become necessary.
While a well-thought out plan is key to preparedness, remember too to remain informed and flexible. Stay current on their CDC’s latest influenza statistics and recommendations for companies at www.cdc.gov/. State and local health agencies can also be an accurate and helpful source for local outbreak information. Finally, as with any other type of crisis, an influenza pandemic is a fluid situation. Stay nimble so you can respond quickly and manage issues as they arise.
