Pandemic Planning
The implications of a pandemic or Public Health Emergency could cause significant levels of absenteeism in the workforce potentially impacting on an organisation’s ability to maintain business operations. New and emerging flu viruses with the ability to infect many people over a wide geographical area who have little or no immunity. Other novel viruses, such as the coronavirus, Covid-19, can emerge with widescale impacts. Infection spread can be rapid leaving very little time to plan.
It is prudent to include a focus on pandemic planning as part of an organisation’s business continuity planning programme to enable an effective response to a pandemic virus which could vary in both severity and virulence. A suggested worse case scenario would be to plan for up to 25-50% absenteeism, based on the cumulative impacts of illness, holidays, potential school closures and self absenting for other reasons, e.g. for fear of infection. Equally planning should take into account measures imposed by national or local lockdowns, for example, the inability to access the workplace for an extended period of time to reduce the transmission of infection.
Organisations should review regularly their objectives for the continuity of business in a pandemic or health alert situation and develop practical contingencies. Pandemic planning can help ensure continuity of personnel in other situations which could impact on business continuity, for example, industrial action, severe weather conditions or other disease outbreaks.
Teed has produced a Checklist of key actions and issues that should be taken into consideration when developing plans and contingencies for managing a pandemic or other major disease outbreak.
Pandemic Planning Checklist 2020.pdf
Learn more about how Teed can help with your pandemic planning and Covid-19 response
International guidance and advice for a public health emergency - useful links:
UK Government Health Security Agency
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control
- Date: 9th October 2020