Corporate Pandemic Planning

• Why have a Pandemic Plan?
• Business Continuity Planning
• Defining Essential Business Elements
• Duty of Care for Staff
• Staff who Travel
• Staff who Work at Home
• Psychological Issues
• Useful Checklists

Why have a pandemic plan?

All organisations will be affected by an influenza pandemic.

Staff at all levels will get sick, and the size of the pandemic will determine how many staff will be affected and the speed of onset of illness, as well as the length of the problem. All organisations may be affected by staff absence because of sickness, the need to take time off to care for others, or the fear of contracting pandemic influenza. This will occur at a time when, for some organisations, the workload may be greater than normal.

In the pandemic phase 6 and immediately before, there may be the need to close down services, particularly service areas that have high public presence or where people tend to congregate.

For many companies, their supply chain will be cut as other businesses are reduced or closed, and transport systems may be non-functioning. The effects of a pandemic may last several months, may affect different parts of an organisation at different times, and, for businesses reliant on international services, may impact well before the problem is escalated in Australia.

Setting policy

Companies should currently be identifying the responsible staff for developing a company-wide plan, and ideally include medical input. It is appropriate to start informing and educating staff about the issue, and any plan that is developed, as well as providing general information-preferably in real-time method which can be constantly updated.

Good planning means addressing concerns of staff now. This will inevitably involve the development of effective communication tools for staff, and the ability of staff to be notified of changes to the plan as they occur.

Consideration of workplace issues should include:

• establishing minimal staffing levels
• the need for staff to work in areas they are not formally trained in
• utilising volunteers, retired or ‘trainee’ staff if immune
• accommodation for staff in between shifts, when transport home may be disrupted or not advised
• psychological support for staff

Evaluation, comparison, modification of the plan

Your plan needs to be a dynamic, ‘living’ document, to cater for the changes that will continue to occur.

New information about the disease, the drugs, vaccines etc, needs to be continually included, and changes in staff needs and concerns is also important to reflect within the document.

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