I’ve been avoiding writing about pandemic planning for a while because there has simply been too much hype.  But there is a positive side to all this:  Companies, through their pandemic planning, are hopefully making workplaces safer and taking a look at their business continuity plans.

Every year we have “flu season”.  And every year we have people show up at work with the flu as if doing show displays their dedication.  In reality, they’re spreading a virus to their colleagues. Hopefully employers are looking at the bigger picture and making simple policies such as prohibiting employees with a fever from entering any company facility.

The larger picture is business continuity planning.  There are countless reasons why employees may not be able to come to the workplace:  Illness (the employee, a family member or fear of contact with ill colleagues), power failures, protests, floods, severe weather and other natural disasters. While firms in the manufacturing sector may have to shut down, many others could, with the right planning, sustain operations with employees working remotely.

How well prepared is your company?