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Does your firm have a plan to respond to employee issues related to the Swine Flu?
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Does your firm have a plan to respond to employee issues related to the Swine Flu?
Most corporate executives and HR professionals might think that the impending swine flu pandemic is strictly a public health issue, but if you are thinking that way, you would be wrong.
It turns out that the impending swine flu pandemic is also a major corporate issue that needs to be addressed with decisive plans and clear communications. Fear surrounding the illness is already affecting employee productivity and attendance, as parents in regions impacted are being forced to find child care or stay home as schools close for weeks at a time.
The potential damage that this particular flu can cause corporations is further intensified by the fact that many corporate staffs are already incredibly lean, making it difficult to tolerate extended spikes in absenteeism. If your corporation hasn’t set aside some time to assess how this threat can negatively impact your business and your employees, the time to act is now.
Potential Impacts That Firms Might Encounter
As more becomes known about the flu and its actual impacts, it will be easier for firms to identify and solve the problems that they could encounter. However, based on my research and from years of providing advice to corporations regarding past catastrophic events, I have made a list of the nine most likely potential impact areas that senior managers and HR need to prepare for. They include:
1. Absenteeism. The most obvious impact on most corporations will be an increase in employee absenteeism. Because health professionals who are highly visible in the media are encouraging individuals (who think they might be infected) from interacting with others, it is highly likely that many of your employees will choose to stay home in order to protect others. Having schools close (over 300 have already) might also mean that more parents will be forced to stay home while their kids are out of school. If family members get sick, your employees are likely to be absent while they care for their family. Some health professionals have also publicly encouraged individuals in cities affected to stay home and travel out as little as possible to minimize their risk of exposure, a message that may resonate strongly with those who already suffer from phobias related to germ exposure.
2. Morale and focus. What happens in your employees’ personal lives will also impact their ability to concentrate on their work. If an individual employee, friend, or family member becomes infected, it is likely their morale will be negatively impacted. It will certainly be difficult for managers to keep their employees focused on the customer when their personal lives are in turmoil.
3. Productivity. Sick workers are obviously less productive. Add to that burden the fact that more workers will be absent, while others will be less engaged, and it is fairly safe to assume that it will be extremely difficult for managers to maintain current workforce productivity levels. This will force managers and HR to pull away from normal activities to focus on these new issues. Conversely, firms that are located outside of the major impact areas will, as a result, have a competitive advantage.
4. Customer impacts. Firms in the travel, retail, or any industry where large amounts of people congregate and interact will be negatively impacted as customers change their habits in order to avoid encountering the flu.
5. Employer brand and recruiting. Firms that fail to act quickly to accommodate their employees’ needs will weaken their employer brand image both inside and outside the firm. This could positively affect future recruiting as potential candidates see how poorly the firm manages in a crisis.
6. Costs. Employee costs will likely increase in several areas, including costs related to overtime and temporary labor. Employee benefit costs are also likely to increase in the future as a result of increased health plan usage by your employees.
7. Travel. Fewer employees will be willing to travel on airplanes, trains, and even mass transit for fear of catching the virus. This will affect sales and weaken relationships.
8. Stock price. The stock price of individual firms might also be impacted if analysts and the public perceive that the firm may be benefited or harmed by the epidemic.
9. Smaller issues. The potential problems will be both large and small. For example, even minor things like what you serve in the cafeteria (there may be an irrational fear of pork products) may become issues. Simple practices like shaking hands with customers and job applicants may become huge issues overnight that management must develop a plan to deal with.
The initial strategic challenge is for senior management and HR to develop a process that can identify these real or imagined issues early on, so that a plan to deal with each of them can be developed.
Source:
http://www.ere.net/2009/05/01/does-your-firm-have-a-plan-to-respond-to-employee-
It turns out that the impending swine flu pandemic is also a major corporate issue that needs to be addressed with decisive plans and clear communications. Fear surrounding the illness is already affecting employee productivity and attendance, as parents in regions impacted are being forced to find child care or stay home as schools close for weeks at a time.
The potential damage that this particular flu can cause corporations is further intensified by the fact that many corporate staffs are already incredibly lean, making it difficult to tolerate extended spikes in absenteeism. If your corporation hasn’t set aside some time to assess how this threat can negatively impact your business and your employees, the time to act is now.
Potential Impacts That Firms Might Encounter
As more becomes known about the flu and its actual impacts, it will be easier for firms to identify and solve the problems that they could encounter. However, based on my research and from years of providing advice to corporations regarding past catastrophic events, I have made a list of the nine most likely potential impact areas that senior managers and HR need to prepare for. They include:
1. Absenteeism. The most obvious impact on most corporations will be an increase in employee absenteeism. Because health professionals who are highly visible in the media are encouraging individuals (who think they might be infected) from interacting with others, it is highly likely that many of your employees will choose to stay home in order to protect others. Having schools close (over 300 have already) might also mean that more parents will be forced to stay home while their kids are out of school. If family members get sick, your employees are likely to be absent while they care for their family. Some health professionals have also publicly encouraged individuals in cities affected to stay home and travel out as little as possible to minimize their risk of exposure, a message that may resonate strongly with those who already suffer from phobias related to germ exposure.
2. Morale and focus. What happens in your employees’ personal lives will also impact their ability to concentrate on their work. If an individual employee, friend, or family member becomes infected, it is likely their morale will be negatively impacted. It will certainly be difficult for managers to keep their employees focused on the customer when their personal lives are in turmoil.
3. Productivity. Sick workers are obviously less productive. Add to that burden the fact that more workers will be absent, while others will be less engaged, and it is fairly safe to assume that it will be extremely difficult for managers to maintain current workforce productivity levels. This will force managers and HR to pull away from normal activities to focus on these new issues. Conversely, firms that are located outside of the major impact areas will, as a result, have a competitive advantage.
4. Customer impacts. Firms in the travel, retail, or any industry where large amounts of people congregate and interact will be negatively impacted as customers change their habits in order to avoid encountering the flu.
5. Employer brand and recruiting. Firms that fail to act quickly to accommodate their employees’ needs will weaken their employer brand image both inside and outside the firm. This could positively affect future recruiting as potential candidates see how poorly the firm manages in a crisis.
6. Costs. Employee costs will likely increase in several areas, including costs related to overtime and temporary labor. Employee benefit costs are also likely to increase in the future as a result of increased health plan usage by your employees.
7. Travel. Fewer employees will be willing to travel on airplanes, trains, and even mass transit for fear of catching the virus. This will affect sales and weaken relationships.
8. Stock price. The stock price of individual firms might also be impacted if analysts and the public perceive that the firm may be benefited or harmed by the epidemic.
9. Smaller issues. The potential problems will be both large and small. For example, even minor things like what you serve in the cafeteria (there may be an irrational fear of pork products) may become issues. Simple practices like shaking hands with customers and job applicants may become huge issues overnight that management must develop a plan to deal with.
The initial strategic challenge is for senior management and HR to develop a process that can identify these real or imagined issues early on, so that a plan to deal with each of them can be developed.
Source:
http://www.ere.net/2009/05/01/does-your-firm-have-a-plan-to-respond-to-employee-
