Employers play a key role in protecting the health and safety of their employees during a pandemic outbreak. A “pandemic” is a global epidemic. There have now been five such pandemics in the last century:
Spanish Flu (1918)
Asian Flu (1950s)
Hong Kong Flu (1960s)
H1N1 Flu (2009)
COVID-19 (2019-present).
As many employers have experienced first-hand, a pandemic can have a major impact on business operations. For example:
employees may be forced to remain at home to care for family members, including children who are unable to attend school
multiple employees may fall ill or have to quarantine or isolate at the same time
employees may refuse to leave their home due to sheer panic.
These and other potential effects underscore the importance of disaster planning, making it crucial for employers to have a pandemic preparedness plan to minimize the risk and fear of employees and, at the same time, provide continuity in business operations. Employers should:
create or update a pandemic preparedness plan (PPP)
provide employee training or a refresher course on the PPP
engage the state and...
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