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A healthy business

This article first appeared in RICS Business in October 2009.

Businesses can stay healthy even if staff are off sick. Louis Cooper and Paul White explain how

 

UK businesses have been warned to prepare for the potential effects of a flu pandemic this winter. With the possibility of affected staff being absent from work for up to five days, small firms in particular may be badly hit.

 

There are two factors that could hit small firms affected by a virus such as swine flu. Firstly, small businesses do not have a large number of spare staff.

 

If a number of employees get infected, or have to stay at home to look after a relative or dependent with flu, then the available resources will soon become depleted.

 

Secondly, the challenge that small businesses face is to try to reduce costs at the same rate that demand drops. If costs remain high, they could very quickly get into financial difficulties as they may not have the collateral to survive a prolonged flu incident.

 

Small firms should start thinking ahead to work out how their business could be affected and have suitable continuity plans in place.

 

Top health tips

 

Businesses should consider the following 10 measures when creating a pandemic continuity plan:

 

1. Take steps to reduce the transmission of the virus in the workplace. This can be done by prominently displaying notices reminding staff of the signs and symptoms and other measures adopted, including:

 

  • Arranging to have hard surfaces cleaned more frequently, paying particular attention to door handles and hot desk areas
  • Providing antiseptic wipes for cleaning telephones – particularly telephones used by visitors
  • Providing anti-bacterial gels for staff in food preparation areas
  • Promoting an environment in which employees feel confident to report signs and symptoms.

Businesses may also want to email the UK Department of Health’s leaflet about pandemic flu to employees to ensure that they are fully aware of the symptoms and severity of the illness, and that they know what to do if they think they may be infected.

 

2. Put into place strategies that allow the company to maximise the amount of home-working that employees do
This could include having additional laptop computers available for staff who need to work from home, increasing the capacity of internet connectivity for a period of time and revising information security protection policies and procedures to reflect this change.

 

This strategy may involve the need to temporarily review and amend company policies on flexible working hours and alternate work places, including the need to carry out risk assessments for staff working at home to ensure they have similar levels of protection under health and safety law as people employed in the workplace.

 

Some employees are more at risk than others and companies may wish to reconsider their policies to ensure that they do not conflict with the general sentiment of good will.

 

3. Look at how things such as telephone and video conferencing can be used to greater advantage
Considering these and other communication channels will help to limit the amount of face-to- face communication between employees and curtail travelling to essential journeys only.

 

4. Prepare for and announce the communication channels that the firm will utilise to keep employees, customers and suppliers informed as to company activities during the pandemic. It is a good idea to communicate to employees the company’s approach to pandemic flu and how it will monitor the spread of the disease. Early communications should be made to suppliers and customers to establish expectations.

Alternate communication channels should be identified in case normal channels become unreliable or overloaded.

 

5. Review your insurance policies
Specifically check policy coverage regarding the impact of a pandemic on business operations.

 

6. Consider plans to work cooperatively with other companies
Working with other organisations can help to maintain critical business services and ventures in the event of staff shortages, allowing customer demand to remain constant.

 

7. Anticipate what customers will expect in terms of product or service demand and delivery during the pandemic
Determine what services and products are likely to be hit the hardest by the pandemic and develop a prioritisation by service and product if delivery is affected adversely.

Communicate any changes to lead times for notification to the customer, if the capability to provide the services or products is significantly reduced.

 

If your organisation deals with customers on a constant basis, look at increasing the capability of on-line transactions and self-service options.

 

8. Have plans in place so you know how your business will work if you have the minimal number of staff working for you for a period of time.
Explore options for bringing in additional staff at short notice to carry out duties and tasks that can be delegated easily.

 

9. Identify any key roles that must be carried out
Identify individuals who have a wide range of knowledge and skills that can fulfil the most essential tasks.

 

10. Make sure that contingency procedures are fully developed and tested
This will enable the completion of a smooth handover for employees who have to fill in for other colleagues whose role may not be familiar. This may require extra training and more detailed risk assessments if people are moving to roles where there may be a health and safety risk.

 

Preparation, planning and understanding the actual risk are the essential antidotes. By following some simple routines and putting in place some clear plans for action, companies can prepare for the possibility of pandemic flu hitting their day-to-day business operations.

 

Louis Cooper is partner and Paul White is manager in the Risk & Assurance Group at Horwath Clark Whitehill