Developing a Pandemic Management Plan in the Face of Coronavirus

Creating and maintaining a plan that protects your business, employees, and customers during this health crisis and future emergencies

Coronavirus is having an extreme effect on life worldwide. As of this writing, there are currently over 7,000 cases and nearly 100 reported deaths. Globally, there are over 200,000 cases, with almost 9,000 deaths. The stock market is crashing, businesses and schools are closing, and events are being canceled. This pattern is set to continue and escalate in the coming weeks.

Businesses are modifying their operations to the best of their abilities or shutting them down altogether, where necessary. This has a lasting impact on almost every aspect of an organization, from employee paychecks to supply chain management.

Businesses that aren't prepared for this situation are often hit the hardest—forced to react to every development rather than carry out a well-crafted plan. For many organizations, especially small- to medium-sized operations, it’s difficult to dedicate much time to creating a pandemic management plan in advance of an actual emergency. Because it happens so rarely, it’s simply not a priority.

Now, of course, is the necessary time to update or create your plan of attack for pandemics and other emergencies. How will your business react? How will you take care of employees? How will you recover after things calm down? All of these questions should be answered so your organization can weather the storm and recover as smoothly as possible.

What is a pandemic management plan?

A pandemic management plan is very similar to other crisis management plans for your business. It should be a living document, updated regularly, that outlines your strategy for dealing with a pandemic situation. If your plan is a one-page sheet, you may want to revisit it. It should be detailed and thorough, reviewing how your enterprise will endure and recover.

You'll want to include information on personnel, processes, protection, and communication. How will running at 75% capacity impact each area? 50%? 25%? Shutting down completely? The pandemic management plan should be designed to guide you through a variety of possibilities, so you aren't left guessing and making last-minute decisions.

Aspects of a pandemic management plan

Pandemic management plans will vary from business to business. Large corporations with global operations will need much more complex procedures than a small business with 10 employees. However, many of the key considerations are the same, and they should be taken seriously no matter how big or small the operation.

Evaluate your team

As we see with coronavirus, many businesses will require employees to work remotely or not at all. This requires a survey of your team to identify the roles and activities that are most critical to the survivability of your business.

Who do you need to function on the most basic level? Who can you ask to work remotely or take leave, if it comes down to it?

Unfortunately, it’s not always up to the business. If a pandemic directly impacts your local area, much of your staff may be exposed to the illness and need to take a leave of absence. In any case, you need to have a plan for running with a skeleton crew. Identify critical tasks and who will be responsible for each one. Make sure that employees are cross-trained so that all vital functions are covered.

Analyze your processes

What you do for your team, you need to do for your processes and activities, as well. Identify which of them will be most impacted by a pandemic. For a lot of businesses with physical products, their supply chain and fulfillment capabilities will be severely limited as vendors and suppliers shut down. Knowing this in advance will allow you to make contingency plans.

It may not be possible to restore the supply chain or fulfill orders for some time. On the flip side—especially for software or service-based businesses—there may be a surge in demand caused by the pandemic.

Incorporate these peaks and valleys into your plan as they pertain to you. How can you adapt to these situations? Which operations can you eliminate or scale down to protect your customers and employees?

Update your policies and procedures

Pandemics are not normal, of course. Thus, your normal employee and customer policies may not be adequate to deal with the situation.

You may likely need to modify sick and leave policies for employees who are asked to work from home or need a complete absence from work. Maxing out their sick days, followed by losing income are serious emergencies for many workers. Try to put yourself in their shoes and be flexible, where possible, to accommodate their needs.

Speaking of flexibility, allowing employees to work remotely is no longer a choice for most businesses. For some organizations, this isn’t a problem. But this may be a new and radical adjustment—and the new normal—for others. Review your technology capabilities and make sure employees who will work remotely have access to the tools and materials they need to do their jobs.

Consider similar flexibility when it comes to your customers. Traditionally rigid return and cancellation policies may need to soften. This gives your customers some freedom and helps you maintain your reputation. You're all in a situation outside of your control, so throw out a lifeline, where possible, to make things easier.

Modify your communications

Evaluate and devise a specific communications plan. Staying silent about the situation—both to employees and customers—is not an option. So, how will you communicate effectively, both internally and externally?

Create a strategy for employees, partners, customers, vendors, and anyone who will need to be aware of how the pandemic is affecting your operations. Identify a spokesperson or team to ensure that communications are consistent and clear.

This strategy should include details about how you’re communicating, when you’re communicating, and what you’re communicating. Is email the best method, or do you need to host a video conference? Does your audience need updates every day, or will weekly suffice? What information should be shared publicly, and on what channels?

Answering these questions in advance will eliminate a lot of confusion for both your business and your audience.

Protect your workers

Protecting your workers and leading your team through a pandemic will set you up for success and recovery when the emergency subsides. A large part of this protection is physical. Plan to implement safeguards in your facility, such as ventilation, sanitizer, cleaning stations, and protective equipment. Identify those who are at higher risk of exposure or severe illness and make sure they have the tools they need to feel safe.

Educate your employees on the pandemic, how it affects them, and what steps they can take to protect themselves. Communicate clearly and often, so everyone is operating on the latest information. Review the benefits and policies available to them during a crisis, which include sick leave and working remotely.

When your employees feel that you are honest with them and that you're putting their needs first, they are more likely to trust and remain loyal to you when the dust settles. Without them, the business cannot function—you need to prioritize their health and wellness during a pandemic.

Having a plan will help you recover faster

A pandemic management plan isn’t just about getting through the worst of the crisis. It’s also about protecting your business and its critical functions so that when the emergency recedes, you can resume normal operations as quickly as possible.

Coronavirus is the current emergency, but there will be others in the future. And many of the policies that are developed to deal with a pandemic are applicable in other situations. Think of the possibilities, set up contingency plans, and implement fail-safe strategies that will strengthen your business against similar crises down the road.

Carrington Legal Search is your partner.  We are here to support our clients through this chaos.  We offer innovative, creative, and flexible solutions for your hiring needs.  To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.