Consider policies and procedures which promote good health habits, such as hand washing/sanitizing, staying home when sick, avoiding close contact, etc., that your business can enact to enhance the safety of the workforce and prevent the continued spread of an illness. Also consider how this information will be distributed to staff.
Additionally, consider what measures can be taken to protect your customers, as well as your employees, when performing services for customers that require face-to-face exchanges.
Identify your suppliers, shippers, resources and other businesses you must interact with on a daily basis. Develop professional relationships with more than one company to use in case your primary contractor cannot service your needs. A disaster that shuts down a key supplier can be devastating to your business.
Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operating. Review your company's internal and external means of communication, including staff call down lists, email distribution lists, client/customer contacts, pagers, etc.
Identify your company's line of succession for key leadership, recommended to be a minimum depth of three (3) employees. These identified successors should possess the capabilities to perform leadership responsibilities and have decision making authority for your organization. Include at least one person who is not at the company headquarters, if applicable.
Businesses need to consider what activities can be implemented to limit social contact, such as limiting face-to-face meetings utilizing web or teleconference meetings. Also, consider your company's capabilities as they relate to telecommuting and the equipment needed in order to sustain operations.
Include emergency payroll, expedited financial decision-making and accounting systems to track and document costs.
Encourage a plan for your staff's families to prevent the spread of infections at the home. Find resources here.
Plan for potential absenteeism and consider staff restrictions due to employees/family members sick or thought to be sick. Consider staffing assignments based on operations critical to survival and recovery.
Protect staffing through Closed Point of Dispensing (POD) Clinic Agreements with the health department (restrictions apply). Closed POD Clinics ensure your staff and clients/residents receive the medical countermeasures they need in response to a public health incident involving an outbreak or worse. Applying organizations must have trained medical staff licensed to dispense medication. Closed POD Clinics define to which populations they will dispense medical countermeasures and will receive all of the supplies and resources required directly from the health department.
For more information on applying to host a Closed POD Clinic, email the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
Access to supplies may be restricted. Identify the critical resources needed to accomplish critical/essential functions and plan for shortages.
Consider and plan for possible travel restrictions to conferences/meetings or distribution services.
