Business Continuity in a Pandemic, Part 1

According to research by Gartner, 91% of HR Leaders in Asia/Pacific indicated that they have implemented ‘work from home’ arrangements since the outbreak. Now that the government has made it mandatory for most employees to work from home, an unanticipated situation has meant that many organisations must quickly adopt new technologies, review and modify existing policies, and completely overhaul operating models and teams. Interestingly, the current pandemic seems to have brought forward workforce trends that have been rising for decades. Gartner research states that by 2030, the demand for remote work will increase by 30%. Alongside this, a Future Workforce Report released in 2019 reveals that Temporary Staffing is on the rise. In fact, the study predicts that by 2028, workers in non-traditional arrangements (eg- Temporary, Contingent and Remote workers) will comprise 24% more departmental headcount than compared to today.

Establish a pandemic preparedness framework

Establish a team that includes a representative from each critical business function and reports directly to senior management. The top priority for this pandemic preparedness team is to assess the relative importance of business activities and organise them into tiers for either response or recovery. For example, IT infrastructure such as network security or VPN servers might occupy the top tier, whilst deferrable activities like training or forecasting might occupy lower tiers.

Monitor the situation to determine changes in severity

Communicate awareness to your networks and ensure you are on top of the changes as they happen, such as the rate of infections and severity and how they impact your employees. Make sure the information is taken from credible sources such as The World Health Organisation site or national local public health organisations, rather than relying on spurious social media posts.

Review finance and treasury implications

The rest of 2020 will need to be considered in a new light for all of us. Third on the list is the revision of any revenue forecasts, and communication with investors and suppliers or partners about any potential financial issues. It is critical to ensure that your organisation has sufficient working capital to ride out the uncertainty. Review corporate insurance coverage for conditions such as payouts etc and consider using government-sponsored financial relief or bank loans to cover lost revenue or support cash flow.

Extend your clean workplace/personal hygiene protocols

Revisit your own hygiene policies within your organisation to ensure that they comply with any new governmental regulations. Establish protocols for travelling staff and ramp up basic hygiene activities such as cleaning services and provide personal hygiene supplies.

Gartner research estimates that Absenteeism rates go up to 40% during a pandemic, so businesses must prepare for almost 1 in every 2 staff members to be unfit for work. This means alternative arrangements must be put in place to ensure the organisation can continue to function in their absence. Third party providers will help manage increased workloads as well as relieve core staff from the backlog they will inevitably be faced with when operations are back to normal. A digital hiring platform such as Weploy is a safe bet, especially at the moment, when traditional, face to face hiring methods are not possible. Now, more than ever, is the time to leverage the power of speedy technology solutions to help us succeed in this new business environment.

Establish a pandemic communications program

In times of uncertainty, people can feel out of the loop quickly. Establish a messaging framework to be delivered via internal channels that includes messaging, terminology and differing scripts for different stakeholders including employees, customers, partners, regulators and officials. Tone of voice is critical here as the spread of panic, especially from senior leaders can be devastating.

Review impact on business operations

The current situation has hit the supply chain and travel industries the hardest, but the reality is that every single sector is going to be impacted. Those particular impacts will be specific to each individual business, but the pandemic preparedness team formed in Step 1 should break down these impacts into activities or business areas. Understanding the reality on the ground in countries of operations is critical, including considering third parties for their exposure. Key questions include: Is transport functioning? Have holidays been extended? Where can operations continue and where must they stop?

Review IT actions and considerations

Another incredibly important step to be considered in any well-laid out Business Continuity plan is the IT supply chain. Companies must be taking inventory of critical equipment and keeping extra inventory in case of resource failures and implementing remote data centre management solutions. Leverage the cloud to shift the risk out of your region and reschedule any non-essential IT work to prioritise key applications. The technological impacts of a surge in working from home is going to place systems under significant strain and present further risks to continuity.

Review HR Policies and Procedures

The “what” of continuity planning, and "how" to approach it, can often overlook a company’s most essential resource - employees. But taking care of your front-line staff is critical to the health of any business. Be sensitive to changes in employee engagement and workplace preferences. Assess whether team members can cope with their responsibilities and also promote collaboration between them. In new operating environments and a global state of emergency, the potential for a decline in engagement and performance may become a risk to business continuity in the near and medium term. The pandemic preparedness team should be carefully monitoring these metrics, and take proactive measures to stay on top of any high risk areas or individuals.

Business Continuity Planning in a Pandemic

As a new world of work rapidly unfolds, this guide will demonstrate why companies should be refreshing their operating models as a matter of priority and embracing remote, temp workers to help them maintain Business Continuity throughout the public health crisis.

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