Swine flu: Staying "Open for Business" - tips for operating a business

Swine Flu: Staying "Open for Business" risk assesment! Farmers has partnered with the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to make a disaster-recovery planning tool available to you. The tool is called Open for Business, and it will help plan for a disaster and reduce losses.   IBHS is currently cautioning businesses and nonprofit organizations to examine their ability to operate in the event of a flu pandemic. With the federal government declaring Swine Flu a public-health emergency, IBHS says it would be wise to prepare now for the possibility of closures or other impacts a pandemic could have on operations.   Evaluating specific risks and planning well beforehand for a variety of potential emergencies that could disrupt day-to-day business is critical. Fortunately, most catastrophes can be managed with advance, effective preparation and that means having a well-thought out action plan with specific, appropriate policies, resources and contingencies.   The Top 5 IBHS pandemic preparedness steps include: Determine when to curtail employee travel, domestically and internationally. Develop business continuity policies that provide work-at-home options. Address sick leave policies, since people with swine flu or those attending to relatives may need to be on leave longer that the current policy allows. Consider the impact a shutdown of public transportation or the loss of basic utilities would have. Determine at what point the organization would need to close its doors. IBHS has created a self-assessment tool for business owners and managers. By answering nine basic questions, they can rate their readiness for a flu pandemic. You can click HERE to start this assessment. You can find out about IBHS on farmers.com. Click on Business Insurance>Loss Control and then Institute for Home & Safety.

Posted via email from Corey's posterous