What if Ebola hit the UK? Workforce Planning

Ebola in the Workplace

At the time of writing there have been thankfully no confirmed cases of Ebola in the UK. North Wales was awash with rumours this week after a sighting of an individual from the Bangor area being helped into an ambulance by staff wearing what appeared to be Hazmat suits. The rumour mill went into overdrive until it was confirmed that the patient was not suspected to be an Ebola sufferer and Hazmat suits are worn on occasion for other scenarios.

The US press has been filled with reports of hysteria, travellers in Hazmat suits and criticisms of the way the crisis has been handled. In addition, there has been circulation on twitter of what employers should be doing to safeguard their businesses. It is probably the last thing on most people’s minds, what happens at work if there is a pandemic?

 

Should the worst case scenario become a reality, employers could face mass sickness absence, employees boycotting public spaces and issues with logistics and supply and demand. Workforce issues could be dramatic.

Employers must not panic, if the disease does start to spread they should have an action plan in place for disease prevention, restricting travel to high risk areas and providing information and training to employees. Having protective suits/sanitizers available should the worst happen would also be recommended.

Identify any employees who are a specific risk, this could be more difficult that it first seems, employers will need to be sensitive to their obligations to treat employees fairly under the Equality Act.

Employers should also consider a policy on contagious disease, if an employee suspects they have contracted Ebola if they are aware of the procedure which should be followed in respect of their employment, you may be able to limit the spread amongst your workforce. Consider you sick pay arrangements, employees who only receive SSP are more likely to make their way into work rather than those who receive full pay for a period.

If Ebola were to spread through the UK and your business had staffing issues, do you have a port of call for temporary staff? Does your insurance cover business interruptions due to infectious diseases? If your CEO/board fall ill do you have a contingency plan?

While the concepts discussed may appear at present ridiculous as the UK has no confirmed cases, planning for the worst does not do your business any harm. From an academic perspective if the pessimistic view taken by some experts becomes a reality, employers will have to pay real attention and act quickly to protect their staff and their business.