The threat of a looming H1N1 Pandemic is now a reality and to be very clear this has potential to be a significant business problem. The economy is still reeling from the impact of the global credit crisis; can your business withstand the compounded financial impact of a Pandemic?

Many organizations have devoted considerable resources to preparing their business continuity programs to deal with the risks of a Pandemic. However, even with the advanced warning, numerous Canadian organizations have not implemented a plan in place that deals with the unique issues of a H1N1 Pandemic pandemic. However, it is not too late!

The H1N1 scenario impacts the most difficult resource to recover – people and process. It could also affect your suppliers, local utilities and transportation that keep your business operational, it could have a serious psychological impact on your staff and most importantly have a negative impact on the “bottom line”.

The pandemic has cast new light on corporate business continuity preparedness. Existing business continuity plans do not address a scenario like a pandemic? Most Business Continuity Plans are focused on the impacts of a single (discrete) event on a single enterprise location and most are focused on IT only; however H1N1 threatens to dramatically change that calculation. The scale and the scope of a pandemic disaster impacts a wider mass of employees for longer periods of time; workplaces are affected, homes are affected and immediate and extended families are subject to the disaster as well. Various media outlets commonly say that 25% to 40% of the workforce can be affected directly or indirectly, and the affect may last as long as four weeks to three months. Fear will drive people toward isolation, and an employee's last concern will be to work - their first concern being their safety, as well as their family.

How Are Organization's Planning for a Pandemic in General?

It's natural to be concerned about the effect of a pandemic on your business interests. However, it is not necessary to start planning from scratch.  Leverage your current Business Continuity Plan (BCP). For example, your organization likely has a BCP is in place and it has been for some time. Your BCP will have identified your mission critical services, identified critical staff members and their alternates.  

As we previously discussed, a pandemic will predominately impact people and process. Most organizations have experienced Staff Absenteeism or shortages. During the peak summer vacation period, you may have experienced a 10-30% decrease in staff, without the offset of backfilling. You have also experienced staff shortages due to storms and the regular flu-cold season.   

In order to offset staff absenteeism, organizations have from time to time either reassigned or temporarily relocated employees. Therefore many of the staff in your organization likely have experience in other departments and have diverse business and IT skills and can execute other critical tasks as required.

Finally, Remote Access and Tele-Working capability likely exists. Critical applications can be accessed and executed remotely. Many of your key employees likely work remotely, whether from home or other remote location. However please be aware that Tele-working is not as simple as it sounds and is not necessarily the “get-out-of-jail free” card some had hoped for.  However if the tele-working is not already set-up, tested and working, it is too late to start now. 

What if You Don’t Have a BCP in Place?

As previously mentioned, although the looming Pandemic threat is now a reality, it is not too late to build and implement a basic Pandemic Plan, even if you don’t have a current Business Continuity Plan to leverage. Following is a Five Step framework that an organization can immediately undertake to build out a basic Pandemic Preparedness Plan:

1. Evaluate and Determine Essential Processes
2. Identify Essential Personnel
3. Eliminate Proximity Constraints
4. Address Policy and Cultural Obstacles
5. Put Your Plan Into Practice Today

Planning Parameters & Assumptions

In order to be successful it is important to identify pandemic planning parameter, boundaries and assumptions.

1. Assume that 35% of employees will be absent over a sustained three month period. The reality is that some areas may experience dramatically higher, or lower, absentee rates. In addition, the Pandemic will in fact likely come in two or three “waves” over a 12 to 18 month period

1. Recognize that there will be enterprise-wide risk impact, as well as operational risk issues. Mitigation plans are required for each class of risk.

1. Consider the following:
1. Transaction volumes may be reduced
2. Non-critical projects can be suspended
3. Non critical development can be suspended
4. Non-critical changes can be delayed

Employee Well Being Recommendations

Proactive pre-cautions regarding your employees can go along way towards mitigating the business and operational impacts of a pandemic

1. Regular communication of the following precautions to avoid and prevent spreading of the virus in the workplace:
1. Wash/clean hands frequently
2. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
3. Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
4. Avoid contact with those who are sick
5. Stay home when sick

1. Working formally with building management, landlords, etc. to ensure:
1. Sanitary work conditions and building cleanliness
2. Adequate building ventilation
3. Availability and maintenance of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, in addition to anti-bacterial hand soap, etc.

A proper plan takes time to develop and test, but the H1N1 is here, so leverage your current level of planning.  As some plan is better then no plan, it’s the “no plan” that will cause poor decisions to be made that can cause more problems then they are worth.