PANDEMIC PLANNING FOR BUSINESSES
MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS
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MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS
13.1
Keeping communications open is critical to
business operations. From a practical standpoint, here are several initiatives
which should be considered:
13.1.1
Enabling staff to work from home. This is no
doubt the single most prolific initiative any Company can take to ensure staff
can continue to operate, regardless of whether they are staying at home to
protect themselves from infection, whether they are caring for others, or
whether they are well again after infection but are still quarantined and
unable to return to the office.
13.1.2
This initiative is also the most controversial
as most employers prefer staff to come to work as there are few controls
employers have over employees when they working from home.
13.1.3
Regardless, the arguments for working from home
outweigh the arguments against it, particularly in times of crisis when the
employee is unlikely to come to work anyway.
13.1.4
In the Risk Assessment section you
would have already identified staff who are critical to business operations.
Some of those require a physical presence in the office and some do not. Those
who are critical but do not require a physical presence should be equipped to
work from home and trained to use the equipment.
13.1.5
Staff working from home will require electronic
access to email, websites, files, programmes and other communications so that they may continue seamlessly
with their work.
13.1.6
Divert landline communications calls and messages.
Callers need not even know their call has been diverted from an office number
to a home number then back to an office number.
13.1.7
Install phone equipment which allows for communications
to be diverted, or if current communications equipment already includes this function, ensure
all staff are re-briefed on how the equipment operates. Consider re-fresher
training by the equipment provider.
Meetings should be held using conference calling equipment. Conference calling equipment is not expensive and can handle a large number of participants. Using a computer to make conference calls, international and local is becoing very common and there are many free and paid for products to choose from.
Conference calls for both local and international should be encouraged now so people are more comfortable and ready trained when the need becomes serious. If you need more information on video-conferencing equipment read this for-info-only website on video-conferencing.
13.1.8
Install two-way videoconferencing or use conference calling services for those
who's job requires visual communications. Consider offering (for free) to
install videoconferencing equipment in top client offices so that your Company
representative can communicate visually with your client's representative.
Consider the same for critical suppliers.
13.1.9
As with any remote system access, ensure system
security protocols are in place and that systems are robust and scaleable to
handle the additional workload when remote working initiatives are called upon.
13.1.10
Consider enlisting the assistance of outsourced
IT professionals if there is no internal department responsible.
13.2
On more general communications issues, it is
strongly recommended that employers should discuss this possibility of business
closure with their staff, staff representatives and contractors as part of
their preparedness planning. This discussion should include identifying whether
services can be delivered outside of the workplace in a way that does not pose
any health and safety risk, and implementing methods of communicating workplace
closure to employees.
13.3
In the event that the employer decides, or is
required to, suspend business during a pandemic, it is important that the
employment conditions during the business suspension are discussed with, and
made clear to, employees. Those discussions may include, for example, the use
of annual leave.
13.4
Contractors for services will be subject to
their contracts, and contract law generally.
13.5
If a workplace or business stays open during a
pandemic, employment relations legislation will continue to apply according to
the circumstances.
13.6
Keep communications Open and Frequent. In all
cases, it will be useful to discuss any likely impacts with employees, unions
and others that may be affected beforehand. Whatever agreement and
clarification can be achieved before a pandemic will prove a valuable
investment should the emergency occur.
13.7
It is likely there will be anxiety regarding a
pandemic and this is likely to contribute to increased work absence and/or
increased distress to staff. The suggested ways to manage this include:
13.7.1
Communicate the possibility of a pandemic - and
the Organisation’s preparedness to manage it - very early to staff.
13.7.2
Discuss with staff possible health and safety
issues, potential for stand down, and leave arrangements if they are ill or
need to look after those who are or who have been "shut out" of childcare and
school, etc.
13.7.3
Have the comprehensive management plan in place and
clearly communicated to staff. Ensure that communications management during the
pandemic is part of the plan. It will be important to have systems in place to
allow communications in a pandemic.
13.7.4
In activating the plan, provide clear, timely
and pro-active communications to staff, including how the organisation is
handling the situation.
13.7.5
Establish a "communications tree" to ensure efficient communicaion response is maintained.
13.8
Ensure the following policy guidelines are in
place for communicating with staff.
13.8.1
Make all communications timely and honest. Do
not 'cover up' as cover ups never work and they would serve only to erode
credibility and trust.
13.8.2
Make sure information comes from the
organisation first.
13.8.3
Simultaneous to all
13.8.4
Staff Awareness
13.8.5
Objective and Subjective assessments
13.8.6
Inform workforce simultaneously
13.8.7
Give bad news all at once
13.8.8
Provide opportunity for Questions
13.8.9
Regular updates and give time for next update
13.8.10
Methods of communications
13.8.11
Draft notices in advance when possible
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