Influenza: Business Continuity Threat,
Impact and Response
How to plan for and respond to the threat of a pandemic in order to ensure the safety of your constituents and the continuity of your operations.
According to The Washington Post, "More than half of U.S. companies think there will be a global flu epidemic in the next two years. Two-thirds think it will seriously disrupt their operations as well as foment social unrest. But two-thirds also say they aren't prepared."
Since a pandemic cannot be stopped, decision makers must examine the potential impact it could have on their organizations. A prolonged reduction in the workforce due to illness, fear or the need to care for one's own family could have a significant impact on traditional business models.
To prepare, businesses need to identify and prioritize their essential business functions. Management must be prepared to suspend or reduce nonessential business function service levels and manage the consequences. This includes the immediate and future consequences to the organization, others in the value chain, and customers and constituents. Everyone would be affected by both the incident and organizations' responses.
This paper explains how to prepare and carry out an appropriate,
comprehensive response to a mass absenteeism scenario brought
on by the threat of a pandemic.