PANDEMIC PLANNING FOR BUSINESSES
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
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WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
11.1
Bird Flu is a very human issue, and ultimately
will be a very human tragedy. It is
the workforce which will be directly affected by Bird Flu, not systems, machinery or
physical locations.
11.2
Systems,
machinery and physical locations will of course eventually fail if they do not
receive workforce intervention for preventative maintenance or repair management.
11.3
The
World Health Organisation advises that management should plan for up to
50% workforce absences for periods of about two weeks at the height of a pandemic
wave and lower levels of workforce absence for a few weeks either side of the peak.
11.4
Either way, the strain on current workforce management will be enormous. Unless adequate plans are made to replace and cover
for absent critical staff, business operations will start to fail.
11.5
Care must be taken when making contingency plans
for employees. There will be a tendency for staff to feel their positions may
be under threat. "Why would they make plans to have someone else do my job?"
11.6
Therefore
consider open discussions on workforce management with staff on:
11.6.1
Deputy management
training - ensure all critical positions have a deputy manager trained to oversee
operations when the incumbent is absent from work.
11.6.2
Back up
staff - contact retired or ex-employees and management who may agree to work on a temporary
basis if the incumbent is absent from work.
11.6.3
Outsourcing Human Resources - consider what internal functions may be out-sourced in the incumbent is
absent from work.
11.6.4
Succession
planning - all critical employees and management should have succession planning in place. Analyse your current
succession planning strategy and fill any gaps that may exist.
11.6.5
Leave
arrangements - it is common workforce management practice to declare 'no leave' periods in high
season or to encourage the workforce to take leave during low season. Consider
asking staff to save leave for a time when they may not be able to come to the office
anyway.
11.6.6
Agreed
unpaid leave - it is common workforce management practice for Companies to ask staff to take unpaid
leave, particularly in times of crisis. Consider asking staff to volunteer to
take unpaid leave when they may not be able to come to the office anyway.
11.6.7
Cross
utilisation - endeavour to train staff and management across multiple functions and skill
sets. This will allow flexibility when assigning staff to fill roles of absent
employees.
11.6.8
Interim
Management - prepare 'temporary' management arrangements so that should senior
managers become absent you can call upon the required skill sets to caretake
positions until the manager's return.
11.6.9
Return
of 'immune' employees - employees who have caught and survived Bird Flu will be
immune to the strain and can be deployed at front line areas without fear of
repeat infection.
11.6.10
Employment ordinance - it is the employer's
responsibility to provide a safe working environment for its workforce. Whilst this
is a very 'grey area' when it comes to Bird Flu, there were instances after
SARS where employers were held liable. The insurance industry paid out over
US$15m in SARS related claims. Check your corporate health care insurance exclusions.
11.6.11
Adopting the advice included in this section,
with particular attention to protection measures, should assist employers with their regulatory compliance. Please note however, It’s is the employer's responsibility to ensure they are complying with their local employment requirements.
|
Protection measure |
Where applicable. |
|
Hand hygiene, cough etiquette, ventilation |
Everyone, all the time. |
|
Organisational policies |
Every organisation, all the time. |
|
Social Distancing |
Everyone, whenever practical. |
|
Protective Barriers |
Institutions where regular work practice requires
unavoidable. Relatively close contact with the public. |
|
Disposable Face Masks |
Workers/Visitors in any community |
11.7
An influenza pandemic may affect regions of the
world differently in terms of timing, severity and duration. Some regions may
be hit earlier, longer or harder. Businesses with overseas or regional offices
may need to consider rotating service delivery from hard hit areas to
influenza-free areas, or areas that have been declared to be in a post-pandemic
period. Restrictions on movement of people from region to region may be
imposed, and rotation of staff may therefore be difficult.
11.8
Businesses with overseas offices, or which have outsourcing human resources arrangements from overseas (e.g. call centres), may be
disproportionately affected. Not all countries have the means to cope with a
pandemic. Employees and staff contracted overseas may have increased rates of
illness and absence.
11.9
Staff
Travel Policy
11.9.1
Once a pandemic is recognised, the border and
ports may immediately be closed to all incoming persons (including crew),
possibly for several days.
11.9.2
It is likely that quarantine measures will be
instituted before movements resume. It is possible that all incoming people
will be required to complete at least 8 days quarantine in specially designated
places before being allowed landside.
11.9.3
If staff travel overseas for business reasons,
the plan will need to include consideration of their management in the event of
a pandemic. For example, on declaration of a pandemic, if any staff had recently
(within the last 4-5 days) travelled to countries known to be affected by the
disease, the company should:
11.9.4
Advise the employee not to report for work for
the duration of the quarantine period. Ask them to follow instructions for
self-checking for influenza symptoms, which may include advice to telephone
(rather than visit) their doctor to seek advice immediately if symptoms occur.
They should report their travel history to the treating doctor. Ask them to
document all the people they have been in contact with.
11.9.5
Check on the staff member during his/her absence
from work.
11.9.6
Set up a process for ensuring that the employee
has completed the time duration and is healthy before allowing them to return
to work.
11.9.7
Border closures overseas may also cause disruption
to return travel.
11.10
Review company insurance coverage and check what
exclusions are in place.
11.11
Consider setting up crisis counseling for staff.
Volunteers will very likely exist within the current employee base. Staff who
have contracted Bird Flu and recovered will be a great resource for crisis counselors.
11.12
If possible provide day-care facilities for
staff who are unable to come to work due to schools being closed and there
being no one to care for their children.
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