Pandemic planning as part of an overall resilience strategy
Immediate actions
Establish a Pandemic Planning/Preparedness Team consisting of executive-level members:
Human Resources (people and preparedness)
Finance (financial stress testing)
Business stakeholders (business continuity planning)
Supply Chain/Procurement
Marketing & Communications
Identify communication tools and spokespersons for internal and external communications
Educate personnel, at both the family and employee level:
Personal hygiene/protection tips
Social distancing
Related pandemic terminology
Sign up for local emergency management agency alerts
Review/update/create work from home policy and confirm the policy addresses the following elements:
Paying hourly employees who are asked to work from home/take leaves of absence if they tested positive
Paying benefits to employees who are asked to take leaves of absence
Working with the business and IT to confirm employees have the capabilities to work from home
Working with Marketing/Communications to issue the policy to employees and ensure their awareness
Define alert levels/triggers
Travel Guidelines and Restrictions/Bans
Social Distancing Procedures
Telecommuting/Video Conferencing/Alternate Sites
Workplace and Leave flexibilities as well as pay and benefits in case of daycare/school closings, caring for ill family members, etc.
Align pandemic policies, standards, and procedures with public health recommendations as well as appropriate laws
Confirm employee contact information is current and distributed appropriately
Update Intranet site to link to the World Health Organization (WHO), local public health departments, etc.
Confirm critical processes can be performed remotely or identify an alternative
Validate essential tools to work remotely are available (i.e., laptop, VPN, etc.)
Increased network bandwidth due to increased telecommuting, etc.
Remote security access capabilities
Establish a Help Line to assist employees who are not familiar with telecommuting or test thoroughly in anticipation of a pandemic
Review the organization’s Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis to confirm the critical business sites, processes, products, services, and a prioritized list of customers that will be the focus of continued operations during a pandemic event
Determine which business processes will cease during the pandemic deliver minimal viable product
Review the potential impacts to:
Legal/Regulatory Requirements
Reputation
Customer Service/Any Current Service Level Agreements
Operational Maximum Allowable Downtime
Sign-off that the Pandemic Plan has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors or Committee annually
Develop communication vehicles and frequencies targeting:
Employees
Customers/Clients
Regional Offices
Supply Chain/Service Providers
Board of Directors
Develop a communication plan to facilitate consistent internal and external communications
Determine the appropriate level of communication consistent with an organization’s protocol—keep employees informed without introducing unnecessary stress
Determine appropriate level of communication with clients
Direct leadership to follow guidelines published by leading global authorities (e.g. WHO)
Inventory hand sanitizers, ensuring appropriate distribution of devices near restrooms, kitchens, common areas
Assess employee health and safety risks
Increased facility cleaning
Connect with critical supply chain providers to identify their operational approach in providing vital products/services
Determine critical suppliers and vendors as defined by the business
Work with the business to identify alternative vendors/suppliers – alternates may have been vetted previously
Develop and integrate a control structure for exports from highly impacted countries
Determine the location of the vendors/suppliers and define supplier routes
Review contracts with key customers and suppliers to understand liability in the event of supply shortages
Review vendor/supplier continuity plans
Develop plans for surge buying before, during, and between pandemic waves
Obtain line of sight for which orders will be potentially impacted
Obtain visibility into the tiers of your supply chain to assess overall impact
Explore transportation alternatives
Obtain transparency into what are the critical materials with the highest impact, if applicable
Evaluate inventory positions and manufacturing priorities, if applicable
Medium-to-long term actions
Closely monitor outbreaks and announcements as reported by WHO, and local health and emergency management agencies
Activate the Pandemic Plan, if appropriate
Work with the area public health departments and emergency management agencies to understand local pandemic response plans and align accordingly
Travel Restrictions/Bans
Public Transportation
Daycare/School Closings
Government Shutdowns
Develop Situation Reports on employee absenteeism/check-ins (confidential information/Need to Know Basis)
Open limited service locations with limited services, if applicable
Migrate to 100% virtual operations if needed
Review cash flow and revise expenditures as necessary
Work with supply chain to inventory forecasts and predict supply and demand
Assess financial stability and identify variables that will impact revenue and cost
Define scenarios that address global slowdowns, model cash flow, etc.
Include trigger-based moves in each scenarios to stabilization organizations
Widen Virtual Private Network (VPN) to allow all employees to work remotely
Actions to consider following the event
Issue guidelines provided by public health authorities:
Lifting of Travel Restrictions
Public Transportation
Daycare/School Openings
Government Openings
Communicate with personnel to return to the worksite, once they are healthy and/or no longer caring for an ill family member and after any quarantine periods
Debrief and discuss any lessons learned
Assign any outstanding issues and report on the status of such issues until resolution
Protect customers by facilitating a no-penalty situation/fees for cancellations
Consider offering discounts to customers to preserve loyalty
Update the Pandemic Plan and any other related Business Continuity/Resiliency Plans based on lessons learned
Validate the Pandemic Plan annually (i.e., through tabletop exercises, functional exercises, tests):
So personnel understand their roles and responsibilities
Validate critical business processes can continue with internal and external support
Confirm communication tools are available and operational
