A recent survey by ORC Worldwide (ORC), a leading international HR consulting and management firm, finds that many of the surveyed companies are "very concerned" about a possible flu pandemic and are taking proactive steps to prepare.
In April 2006, ORC conducted a survey to better understand how companies are preparing in case of a flu pandemic-an eventuality government and private experts now consider being very possible, even probable.
"We were particularly interested in how employers are dealing with the impact such a pandemic might have on human resources strategies, policies and practices in their organizations," according to Robert Freedman, CEO, ORC Worldwide. "What we found was that companies are concerned and aware of the risks of a bird flu pandemic, and an ever increasing number are taking proactive steps to prepare for a possible outbreak, but we also found many are not planning for the loss of key employees."
ORC said the survey was sent to 129 companies, primarily businesses headquartered in North America and Western Europe but responses came from employers in Asia, Australia, and Eastern Europe as well. While the survey focused primarily on the HR-related aspects of preparedness planning, many respondents noted in their comments that they are also focused on how their organizations will continue to meet their commitments to their customers and communities.
Of the respondents, only two companies have turned to an outside consultant to lead their pandemic planning. Eighty-four percent have named or intended to name an internal leader. Even more, 87 percent, are using a cross-functional team to prepare pandemic plans. These planning committees are primarily focused on employees, their security and the facilities they work in, IT support and supply chain concerns.
Survey results also show that certain areas may deserve more attention than many have so far addressed, in particular:
According to Frank White, ORC´s senior vice president for Safety, Health and Environment in Washington, DC, of the 116 employers that said they are engaged in pandemic preparedness planning, 29 percent have completed their planning, 52 percent are in the process of developing plans, and another 19 percent intend to start soon. Of the 129 employers that responded to the survey, only 13 indicated they plan to rely solely on existing disaster plans or that they do not intend to do any planning for a pandemic.
"The results of this survey are very telling of how seriously companies are taking pandemic flu preparedness and how vital a role communications will play if there´s a bird flu pandemic," said White. "Developing effective communications strategies for employees, customers and suppliers and local public health agencies are all key elements of the planning process."
ORC also noted that results varied by industry. They found the most common reason for concern, especially in manufacturing firms and not-for-profit businesses, is where an organization employs a large number of people in regions outside the company´s headquartered country. Half of the respondents have lean organizations that would be seriously and negatively impacted if a number of employees became ill. In their written comments, many respondents underscored that their organizations´ first priority is the welfare of their employees. It was also clear that many are struggling with how to plan for an event that is so difficult to predict.
Uncertainty about the timing and severity of a pandemic have led some companies to create alternate plans for different scenarios or to conduct "table top" exercises with decision-makers. A number of respondents noted how they´ve worked to align their processes with government plans at the central and local levels, but expressed some frustration with the variance in preparedness in different localities. The survey also highlighted HR policies most frequently being developed or revised to respond to pandemic threat are those about closing facilities, telecommuting (both who can do so and the physical and technical support the company can give), and policies governing taking time off and return from absence. Over a third of the companies are planning to provide transportation assistance to help employees get to work in case of transit difficulties or fuel shortages.
For more information on this survey and how to prepare your company, contact ORC Worldwide at www.orcww.com or 1-202-293-2980.
About ORC Worldwide:
ORC Worldwide is a premier human resources consulting firm that delivers customized consulting, networking, and information and data resources to companies, governments and non-profit organizations around the globe, with particular focus on expatriate, domestic and international compensation programs. Backed by more than 50 years in business, ORC provides HR executives worldwide with expert advice and resources to improve business practices and results. ORC offers HR consulting services to many of the world's leading corporations on a broad range of HR topics, including occupational health and safety, diversity and equality, labor and employee relations, and more. ORC is also a pioneer and market leader in gathering and analyzing international cost-of-living data, which underpins the company´s unique expertise in expatriate assignment consulting and administration. The company also maintains one of the most extensive databases of salary and compensation data in the U.S. market and provides global companies and organizations access to and analysis of this significant resource. ORC routinely conducts surveys that track compensation trends nationally and by key industries, job functions and locations. ORC also leads effective network forums for human resources executives around the globe, enabling them to share best practices, collaborate on solutions to common challenges and informally benchmark with their peers. For more information on ORC Worldwide, visit -- http://www.orcworldwide.com/