According to a recent survey by consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 15 percent of multinational companies operating in the United States already have a plan in place in the event of an avian flu outbreak. The survey of 90 multinational companies also found that 48 percent of companies operating in the United States are considering putting programs in place in this region to deal with the avian flu. In addition, 34 percent of companies said they were greatly or moderately concerned about an avian flu outbreak in the United States.
Despite the numbers of employers preparing here, the United States is only the second most prepared, as 32 percent of Asia-Pacific companies reported already having plans in place to deal with the avian flu.
If you haven’t started your planning yet, Robert Wesselkamper, director of international consulting at Watson Wyatt, says that a “good first step for companies is to note what worked and what didn’t in their planned responses to past threats such as SARS.” Wesselkamper also advises companies to “make sure to communicate their formal plans to manage through any business interruption—including alternative work arrangements and reimbursement for preventive and onset treatment—to the entire workforce, particularly associates responsible for deployment.”
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Additional Resources:
“Health and Safety: The Avian Flu Scare–15 Ways Employers Can Prepare Early,” in the February 2006 issue of the California Employer Advisor
Sample Communicable Diseases Policy
U.S. Government’s Pandemic Flu Site
World Health Organization Avian Flu Information