Businesses must learn lessons of swine flu
YORKSHIRE companies are being urged to consider the wider implications of swine flu on their business and plan for such outbreaks in the future, as cases of the illness rise.
The advice comes from DLA Piper after the law firm carried out a research survey with businesses across the UK to find out how prepared companies were for swine flu.
The results indicate that whilst regional businesses have taken the threat of swine flu seriously, with 83% reviewing their business continuity plans, many may not be thinking about the wider implications of pandemic illness, or the potential legal impacts of altering their working practices.
The headline findings of the survey, which canvassed the opinions of 428 businesses of all sizes across the UK, indicated that over half believed themselves to be at high or very high risk of swine flu affecting their business and 80% had reviewed their absence management procedures as a result of the outbreak.
DLA Piper said Yorkshire businesses were also thinking creatively about how to manage staff absences, with 58% looking at cross training staff and 60% are considering implementing measures to allow staff to work from home.
However, a quarter of regional businesses had opted not to communicate their business continuity plans to their staff,
whilst almost half had chosen not to inform their customers or suppliers of their arrangements.
And, whilst the research shows the majority of businesses are preparing themselves for the immediate impact of staff
illness, many may not be considering the wider possibilities of staff absence and the legal implications of how they manage it.
Guy Lamb, head of employment at DLA Piper in Leeds, said: “Most employers are very aware of their need to prepare for employee sickness, but despite the focus on employers’ personal injury liability for employees who contract swine flu, the bigger issue is likely to lie in employers failing to manage their employee relationship effectively.”
Employers are also being advised to use the experience of swine flu to ensure their employee terms and conditions are able to deal with large scale absence and pandemic illness.
Mr Lamb added: “Our research shows 78% of UK businesses have chosen not to make wholesale changes to their employee policies and contracts as a result of swine flu, opting instead to take a ‘wait and see’ approach. Whilst they should be congratulated for being level headed, they should use this opportunity to consider how their innovative business continuity solutions could impact on their employment contracts.”
