swine flu In a survey released June 10, 2009, global human resources consulting firm Mercer reports that many companies are unprepared to manage large scale health emergencies like H1N1. Even while some survey respondents report that their own employees have been exposed or come down with Influenza A (H1N1), or swine flu, 41% said they do not have a human resources policy in place for such emergencies.

"With the continued increase of reported cases of Influenza A, it is important for employers to develop a plan for dealing with the myriad HR issues that can arise in the event of a pandemic or other health care emergency," said Danielle Dorling, a consultant in Mercer's HR effectiveness consulting business. "In particular, organizations with a global workforce and decentralized HR units need to have a coherent procedure in place for employee care in the event of a health emergency."

Action Steps to Consider
While 24% of survey respondents don't anticipate taking any special actions with regard to health-related emergencies, Mercer reports that 53% were considering whether to create back-up and contingency plans in response to the H1N1 outbreak. Forty-three percent planned to cancel or restrict business travel, and 41% would allow employees to work from home. Other measures being considered are voluntary quarantines for employees who have been exposed (27%), enforced quarantines for those employees considered to be at-risk (24%), and cancellation of meetings and conferences (21%). Twenty percent of respondents said they would screen staff or visitors returning from travel, and require medical check-ups for them (12%).

There is understandably greater concern among companies with employees on international assignments, where health related information may or may not be given in employees' first languages. When employees worry about the possibility of exposure, some will request to be transferred back home, which could be costly to the company, not only because of immediate relocation costs but also due to productivity issues.

Importance of Developing a Back-Up Plan
Instead of dealing with these issues after-the fact, creating a policy covering large scale health emergencies can provide a set of instructions that will help employees handle this kind of stressful situation. "Business continuity plans should be standardized and employers must be able to communicate in a streamlined, swift and decisive fashion," said Ms. Dorling. "Ad-hoc reaction can lead to confusion, unnecessary panic and expensive global inconsistencies that can expose the organization to significant financial risk."

If you'd like more information about planning for and responding to emergencies like the H1N1 virus, Mercer's website provides a checklist you can use to think through the possibilities. In three pages, the checklist ensures that you have considered everything from how to reach employees and what to do if schools close, to monitoring World Health Organization updates and how you would handle an order to evacuate an area where employees are located. Visit http://www.mercer.com/h1n1.