Whether the H1N1 virus has run its course is unknown, but the fact is while many organizations have taken precautions, others are still unprepared for a pandemic event in what turned out to be the top risk management story of the year.
In a recent status report on the pandemic, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, special adviser to the director-general on pandemic influenza for the World Health Organization, reported from London that "it is fair to say we still haven't fully gone through the pandemic and that it is possible there could be unexpected events which occur as we continue to go through it."
On a positive note, he added, "it is quite possible to have a pandemic on the milder side, and if we are experiencing that, and if the number of serious cases is kept down, this is again something for which we should all be thankful."
One roadblock to implementing a loss control plan by companies of all sizes is "pandemic fatigue," or apathy, caused by the perception that the H1N1 virus may be a "non-event," Dr. William Lang, former associate chief medical officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, warned in a conference call with NU.
While the likelihood is that we may be facing a "bad flu season" rather than a full-blown pandemic, some businesses could be hit with high absenteeism rates, he observed.
He explained that the impact of a pandemic to businesses is different than other disasters because it affects people rather than facilities, meaning that companies need to protect their employees.
Dr. Lang said that in preparing for the H1N1 virus, larger organizations have the advantage of being able to begin with their existing disaster plan and apply it to H1N1 risks. Small- and medium-size businesses, however, may not have an all-hazards plan in place as a starting point.
Another aspect, he added, is that smaller businesses often don't have a risk manager employed to formulate, let alone implement a complex disaster plan.
Bob Boyd, chief executive officer of the Agility Recovery Solutions consulting firm, pointed out during the conference call that smaller businesses–which haven't been mandated by any regulator to put a disaster plan in place–may perceive that implementing an all-hazards contingency program is too time-consuming and costly.
Fifty-five percent of top executives at global organizations said they have a plan in place to manage pandemic risk and have activated it in response to the outbreak of the H1N1 "swine flu" virus variation, according to The Conference Board, a not-for-profit think tank.
A survey taken earlier this year by the New York-based organization found that of 121 members of 44 councils–small, cross-industry networking peer groups of executives–the majority (66 percent) are responding at a global, enterprise level, rather than locally. Thirty-one percent are responding at a national level–only in affected countries where their company is doing business.
"While there are some differences in corporate responses to the danger of an influenza pandemic, most companies are in agreement that they should be prepared for the worst and ready for a major threat to their global operations," said Carolyn Cavicchio, senior research associate of global corporate citizenship at The Conference Board, in a statement.
But even those organizations with contingency plans in place may need to do more to educate employees.
A "Tell It Now" survey released by ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance and other programs, found that while over 70 percent of workers polled said they have made changes, nearly a third (29 percent) said the flu had not made them more careful about protecting their health and that their habits have not changed.
The poll asked workers if the H1N1 flu had made them more careful about protecting their health this year–and, if so, what was their primary focus.
Of those responding, 47 percent said they were more careful and more likely to wash their hands and avoid touching people or workplace surfaces; 16 percent said they were more inclined to get a flu shot; and 8 percent said they were more likely to stay home and/or /keep family members home if there are flu symptoms, the survey found.
Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, ComPsych chair and CEO, said in a statement that while the survey results are a good indication that employees are responding to public health advice, "employers should take note of the nearly 30 percent who are not inclined to change health behavior even in the face of a pandemic."
Risk management starts at home. Have you gotten your flu shots yet?
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