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It is difficult to accurately forecast how the swine flu (H1N1) virus will spread and what disruption it will cause.
The predictions from the Cabinet Office1 assume a 12 percent absence rate for swine flu in the coming months, compared with an average of 3.2 percent2 across all businesses. In other words, employers may have to cope with a four-fold rise in absence.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is advising that "all businesses should plan for a worst case scenario, where staff absence rates reach 50 per cent."3
This is a dynamic issue and employers need to remain one step ahead. The situation in the UK is different to other countries because we have moved beyond containment mode. As a result employers should be prepared for a potential autumn escalation. They should be confident that absence rates can be monitored, a robust absence policy is in place, health and hygiene advice is available (for both employees and managers), up-to-date information can be communicated to employees, business continuity plans have been updated with a specific pandemic plan and any possible effects on insured benefits have been considered.
How can Mercer help?
Mercer has prepared the following checklist to help employers identify the essential issues, solutions and information sources that will help organisations prepare, monitor and manage their workforce before and during a pandemic.
Absence
Does your absence-recording system enable you to tell how many people are absent day to day?
In a pandemic, it is important to be able to track absence information regularly to accurately determine the extent of the risk to your business. Any system that has a latent period (i.e. reports on a monthly basis or relies on self-certification at time of return to work) will not be sufficient to enable you to monitor the levels of absence, manage workforce planning or identify any hot spots to implement specific precautions.
Mercer absence management consulting
Mercer provides consultancy advice on absence management and can help you create a solution to enable live time recording and reporting in the short term.
For further information please contact Sarah Brown  E-mail
Alternatively, please fill in your details on our 'Contact me' form and a Mercer expert will call or email you:
 Contact me form
Healthconnect absence management system
Mercer’s Healthconnect absence management system provides a longer-term solution for clients to manage all absences, not only those related to pandemics. It will:
- Identify absences by specific cause (e.g. swine flu symptoms)
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- Provide real time data on absence levels, including hot spots and absence costs
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- Automatically notify relevant stakeholders (line managers, occupational health, health and safety, and facilities)
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For further information on Mercer's Healthconnect service, please visit Healthconnect
Absence policy - Is your absence policy fit for purpose?
With a predicted rise in sickness absence, it is important that you have a robust and well-understood absence policy to enable your managers to deal with sick employees in a fair and equitable manner. In addition, specific adjustments may be needed in relation to:
- How quarantine periods should be treated
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- Sickness during a planned holiday that cannot be taken as a result of contracting swine flu
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- Whether swine flu related absence will contribute to absence triggers for disciplinary action
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- Absence reporting requirements
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- Who should be notified of a swine flu related absence
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Mercer can help you by looking at your existing policy and commenting on any gaps and omissions. We can also advise on any adjustments or changes that might be needed in the short term to help you respond to a pandemic situation.
For further information please contact: Sarah Brown E-mail
Alternatively, please fill in your details on our 'Contact me' form and a Mercer expert will call or email you:
Contact me form
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Health support
Do you have the right support to respond to health related issues?
Managers and human resource teams will need specific clinical advice in order to deal with problems arising in the workplace, such as:
- Suitable arrangements for quarantine
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- Assessment of risk to pregnant or immune-suppressed employees
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- Advice where there is disagreement about risk issues
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- Queries about unusual symptoms
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Companies with access to their own occupational health (OH) services will be able to seek advice on clinical issues from their practitioners. For companies that do not currently have access to an OH service, Mercer has established an ad hoc service through a third-party provider to issue clinical advice on a short-term contract basis. Through this third-party, Mercer will provide the following services to an approved user list:
- Infection control and support guidance
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- Access to local care advice
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This service will only be available to line mangers and/or human resource teams.
Read more about Mercer's Health support service
This service will only be available to line managers and/or human resource teams. The NHS helpline is available to all your employees and we would recommend that they are referred to it in the first instance.
Hygiene
Are you able to provide suitable facilities to ensure that as far as is possible your employees are protected from infection at work?
While we are no longer in the containment stage of this pandemic, it is still considered appropriate for employers to attempt to minimise the exposure of their employees to the virus.
Infection control measures are good health-and-safety practice and do not need to be complicated. The simpler and more easily understood the advice, the more likely it is to be followed.
The basic advice, which should be reinforced frequently, is as follows:
- Individuals with flu-like symptoms should stay at home.
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- Good hygiene should be encouraged, including covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using tissues and disposing of them straight away.
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- Frequent hand washing with soap and water should be encouraged. Where this is impractical, microbicidal hand rubs should be made available.
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- Regular cleaning of work surfaces, desks and door handles must be maintained.
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A detailed description of facilities and resources is available from the NHS at: Pandemic Flu: Guidance for businesses
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Business continuity
Does your business continuity plan cover the possible effects of a pandemic?
Most businesses have a contingency plan in place which ensures that they can continue to function in the event of a catastrophic infrastructure failure or natural disaster. These plans may not, however, address the impact of the loss of a large number of absent staff, albeit for a short length of time. This could create unique problems which will need to be addressed.
Marsh, a sister company of Mercer, has developed a Pandemic Plan Supplement Review for inclusion into existing continuity plans. This is designed to specifically address the impact of a pandemic situation.
General information about contingency planning can be obtained from the Marsh website
For further information on this product, contact: Rod Ratsma (Marsh) E-mail
Alternatively, please fill in your details on our 'Contact me' form and a Marsh or Mercer expert will call or email you:
Contact me form
Insured benefits
Are there any specific exclusions relating to swine flu?
In a recent review of our key providers, we found the following:
- Medical plans: generally there are no specific swine flu restrictions, but the normal exclusions around primary care, vaccinations, outpatient drugs, emergency care, etc. would apply.
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- Death and disability benefits: similarly, there would be no specific restrictions; however, event/catastrophe limits may be applicable.
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- Travel policies: views vary by provider, but policies such as our preferred leisure travel insurance with Crispin Speers & Partners (CSP) (see Preferred provider solutions) recommends that swine flu is treated the same as any other illness.
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The above is a general overview and it is always advisable to check the terms and conditions of each policy to confirm what events/conditions are covered. Mercer can assist you by checking your provider agreements and, if need be, clarifying and negotiating on your behalf.
For further information please contact your usual Mercer consultant. Alternatively, please fill in your details on our 'Contact me' form and a Mercer expert will call or email you:
Contact me form
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Communication
Have you appointed a co-ordinator?
The government has made a number of recommendations regarding planning for the impact of a pandemic on business. A planning team comprising a range of stakeholders, such as HR, facilities and health and safety, should be headed by a sufficiently senior manager who can communicate with and, if necessary, influence senior management, ensuring that they fully appreciate the scale of potential impact on productivity.
The Cabinet Office has produced a Pandemic Influenza Checklist for Businesses
Have you communicated up-to-date information to your staff?
It is essential that you keep staff informed of how the pandemic is affecting your business and of the steps that they need to take to protect themselves and others. This information should include:
- How to report flu symptoms to the employer
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- Company policies for absence reporting, quarantine and business contingency (see Absence information)
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- Health and safety guidance (see Hygiene information)
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- Information and helpline availability
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For further information see British Chambers Swine Flu Guide and NHS - Pandemic flu: Guidance for businesses
Contact us
For further information on preparing your business for a potential swine flu pandemic, please contact:
Kate Bawden
E-mail
Alternatively, please fill in your details on our 'Contact me' form and a Mercer expert will call or email you:
Contact me form
1. Cabinet Office, Bruce Mann CB (Director Civil Contingencies Secretariat) Business Advisory Network for Flu, Swine Flu Planning Assumptions, 16th July 2009
2. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Absence Management Survey 2009
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