CorpComms Magazine

It started with a sneeze - just a small one, across the Atlantic Ocean in Mexico. A handful of British holidaymakers (including an unfortunate honeymooning couple) fell victim to the first wave of swine flu. Government advertisements offered advice on how to use a tissue properly. People laughed. Some tourists even donned face masks on public transport, prompting more laughter.

But in recent weeks, the public perception of swine flu has changed. People are dying from the H1N1 virus. It is no longer a laughing matter. The World Health Organisation has issued a phase six global alert, which recognises the situation as a pandemic, after noting that, historically, flu viruses took six months to spread as widely as this virus has spread in less than six weeks.

Phase six is the highest global alert issued by the World Health Organisation, which stopped giving a country-by-country break down of the virus's spread after more than 700 people died worldwide. The death toll from bird flu in 2003 was 262.

Yet confusion still remains about the subject. Women recently received conflicting advice from official sources, with a recommendation that they should delay getting pregnant until after the pandemic to the suggestion that pregnant women should choose to be 'precautionary'. 'Absolutely hopeless,' says one communications professional. 'It just caused a panic among pregnant women.'

'External advice has not been straightforward,' concedes Caroline Randle, UK director of corporate practice at Waggener Edstrom. 'It is important that organisations look at the information and give facts to their employees, and tell them what their policies are on this issue.'

By the middle of July, Britain had the fifth highest incidence of swine flu infections across the globe. With suggestions that up to 100,000 people could be affected daily, it is inconceivable that any business will emerge unscathed.

Ross Cathcart, senior director, corporate practice, at Ogilvy PR, adds: 'This is bigger than a communications challenge. If you take the worse case scenario, then one third of the workforce could be off sick at any one time. This is a business continuity issue.'

A study by insurance firm Marsh suggests that every one dollar spent in crisis planning is worth seven dollars in losses averted. While another study, The impact of catastrophes on shareholder value: A research report, sponsored by insurance group Sedgwick suggests that share prices of companies that mishandle a crisis fall an average of 15 per cent within a year, while those that handle them will improve an average seven per cent.

Thus, it is unsurprising that crisis management experts recommend that a clear policy on coping with swine flu is vital. While introducing a more rigorous approach to cleaning is essential, simply installing hand sanitisers in receptions and public areas does not, they point out, constitute a policy. 'I fear many organisations equate full preparedness with hand wash,' says Peter Roberts, senior associate director, Hill & Knowlton. 'We are urging all clients to prepare in the round, beyond simply communications. They need to clearly assess all aspects of their business so that they can identify the key people and test how fit and robust their succession plans are. The key people may not mirror the hierarchy.'

Mike Seymour, director at Edelman, agrees. But he concedes that the subject of 'key people' is fraught with difficulties and may require a diplomatic approach as some employees discover, to their surprise, that the business will endure even if they are absent for an extended period.

Seymour says that organisations need to 'first make a clear and honest assessment' of the key functions and personnel. 'If you don't have an accounts department or an IT department or even an office manager then you may not have a business,' he says. 'The same might not necessarily be true of a chief executive. You need to think about how to manage when people are absent.'

'The rule book is shaken up slightly,' says Roberts. 'The IT help desk, head of security and head of HR might emerge as key personnel. Senior people need to be big enough to recognise whether they are really key for an organisation.'

TALKING TO STAFF

'A bit of scenario playing might be useful here,' says Eddie Bensilum, director at Regester Larkin. 'Think about whether the organisation can do without each activity for 24 hours, 48 hours, one day, a week or even a month. Map out dependencies, and consider which areas key functions or activities are dependent on. Consider how you can share people around an organisation. This is a chance for employees to upskill and be flexible. Could you do without a team in one area of the business for one week at a time in order to move them into another area? The HR database will prove vital to assess skills and abilities.'

The crisis could provide an unexpected boost for staff who were laid off earlier in the year. 'If 30 per cent or 50 per cent of a workforce are absent, you may find that those people who were laid off could be called back to act as cover,' says Hill & Knowlton's Roberts. 'In these cases, companies will need plans to cover IT systems and security and accessibility. What information should be accessible to contingency workers? How effective will human resources be in monitoring these people? What about insurance cover? These are the issues that very much need to be planned out in advance.'

It is also important to extend analysis to key suppliers or clients, and assess the impact on a business if either were not working at full capacity. In the event that a key supplier temporarily closed due to swine flu, crisis managers recommend that a contingency plan is put in place which may identify alternative suppliers or, if needs be, a short-term restructuring of a business to cope without the inflow of materials. They also recommend quizzing key suppliers on their business contingency plans.

Neil Bayley, director at Porter Novelli, says: 'If organisations talk about these issues with key clients then it can enhance their reputation because they are seen to be pro-active.'

Bensilum adds: 'Somebody within the organisation must own responsibility for pulling the business continuity plan together.' In multi-national organisations, it may be necessary to have a co-ordinator in different regions.

It is vital to communicate continuity plans to employees, and also to put in a place a policy for dealing with staff with swine flu symptoms. Against the current economic backdrop, employees may feel that their positions are vulnerable and endeavour to struggle in even if they are feeling unwell. Crisis managers recommend that companies issue assurances about their jobs but also insist that those employees who are affected should stay at home for a set period.

SICK NOTES

Stuart Wilson, chief executive of MS&L London, adds: 'It is important to proactively communicate with employees, and to issue guidance on how they are expected to behave.'

Randle sounds a small warning bell about internal communications. 'It is vital to communicate with staff, but companies should also ask themselves whether they are happy for that information to be published elsewhere. With the rise of social networks, employees might Twitter about company policies and swine flu. But a responsible employer also has an obligation to keep employees up to date on the latest official guidance and internal policies on swine flu.' Bensillum agrees, adding: 'Continuity planning is an issue for any organisation, but it also reinforces and reassures employees if there is a plan. It should also provide clarity on what they should do if they feel unwell.'

Intranets and staff newsletters come into their own in these situations, particularly when it is inadvisable to have big group meetings. But Jo-Ann Robertson, co-head of issues and crisis management at Weber Shandwick, believes that it is vital that organisations do all that they can to assuage panic among employees. 'There is no need for senior people to overreact,' she says. 'They need to be simple and straightforward in their communications, and assure employees that they are safe when in the building.'

With the strain on the National Health Service, it is unlikely that all affected employees will receive formal diagnoses. Indeed, a new online National Pandemic Flu Service will give people with swine flu symptoms access to information and anti-virals. As a result, existing HR policies for sick leave may have to be amended, particularly for those who self-diagnose. Some organisations may also decide that employees with an affected family member should also stay at home and work from there.

CAN INFRASTRUCTURE COPE?

Edelman's Seymour adds: 'It's all very well saying Fine, we'll work from home but there are then practical matters to consider, such as will home workers be able to access the systems. Things like that are really important. Also, companies need to think about travel policies.'

While the World Health Organisation has not imposed any travel restrictions, companies may feel that it is wiser to use teleconferences and video links rather than bring employees from around the world into one place. But some advisers privately concede that they think the London Underground system is more likely to be a potential source of the virus than overseas trips. 'Staff are crammed into a stuffy, airless Tube with people sneezing over them,' says one. 'So why stop them flying overseas, particularly after most of them have already gone abroad for their summer holidays.'

Some companies are sponsoring vaccine programmes in an effort to establish themselves as 'responsible employers' while others believe that stockpiling Tamiflu and other vaccines is the answer, but Edelman's Seymour cautions against the latter approach. 'You need to consider its shelf life. Is it as effective as when new?'

Bensillum says: 'You can have a fabulous plan on paper, but it is really important to test it to see if it actually works. Does it have all the contact information for the key people? Are the people put in charge, really capable of making decisions? Nothing compensates for good planning. I would always advocate taking as much time as needed preparing the plan and then testing it. Consider how bad could it get?'

Hill & Knowlton's Roberts concludes: 'This should be a wake up call to businesses that they need to test contingency plans on a regular basis, and to get in front of these issues.' 

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit