If You Haven't Yet, Plan Now for a Pandemic, CCH Advises Employers

RIVERWOODS, Ill., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The very real possibility of a
swine flu pandemic should be a wake-up call to the many organizations that
have not developed a plan to cope with widespread employee illness, according
to CCH, part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. To reduce the impact on
operations, employees, customers and the general public, it is important for
all organizations that haven't done so to begin continuity planning for a
pandemic now, CCH says. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider
of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for
legal, business compliance and human resources professionals
(http://www.hr.cch.com).

Unlike natural disasters or terrorist events, an influenza pandemic would be
widespread, affecting multiple areas of the U.S. and other countries at the
same time. A pandemic would also be an extended event, with multiple waves of
outbreaks in the same geographic area; each outbreak could last from six to
eight weeks. Waves of outbreaks might occur over a year or more.

"A pandemic could affect as many as 40 percent of the workforce during periods
of peak illness. Employees could be absent because they are sick, they must
care for sick family members or for children if schools or day care centers
are closed, or they are afraid to come to work," said CCH Workplace Analyst
Heidi Henson, JD. "Lack of continuity planning can result in a cascade of
failures as employers attempt to address challenges of a pandemic with
insufficient resources and employees who might not be adequately trained in
the jobs they will be asked to perform."

In 2007, the CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey revealed that only 27 percent of
companies reported that they had a plan in place in the event that a large
percentage of employees become ill. This was almost a 100-percent increase
over 2006, when only 14 percent of companies surveyed had such plans, however,
it still represented just over one in four organizations.

"In 2007, there was heightened awareness of the need for pandemic planning
because of concern over a possible avian flu pandemic," Henson noted. "That
outbreak never materialized; hopefully organizations have continued to develop
plans in the meantime."

Must Address "Presenteeism"
In establishing a plan to cope with a possible pandemic, organizations must
address the phenomenon known as "presenteeism," which occurs when employees
show up for work sick. This can have a significant and costly impact on an
organization, not only in terms of risking the spread of disease, but also in
terms of diminished productivity, quality and attention to safety.

"We all know what it feels like to have the flu - you're not operating at 100
percent, you may not even be operating at 50 percent," said CCH Employment Law
Analyst Brett Gorovsky, JD. "The bottom line for most organizations is that
it's in everyone's best interest for sick workers to simply stay away, even in
normal times."

"Employers need to discourage both the 'hero employee' - and even more so, the
'hero boss' - who try to muddle their way through the day when they
shouldn't," said Gorovsky. "Employees are sensitive to the differences between
what management says and what it means, and when they see their supervisors
coming in sick, they're convinced that's what's expected of them also."

Organizations that build pandemic plans may also help address their everyday
presenteeism issues.

"As part of developing a pandemic plan, organizations need to thoroughly
examine all their practices and procedures," said Gorovsky. "Many
organizations that take these steps will then roll them out as part of their
overall HR practices, making sure they're adequately addressing employee
illness, whether it's just a mildly severe flu season or a serious pandemic."

Additional Resources for Employers
CCH recommends the following basic steps to prepare for a pandemic:
-- Identify a pandemic coordinator or team with defined roles and
responsibilities for preparedness and response planning;
-- Identify key employees and key work processes required to maintain
business operations during a pandemic;
-- Establish (or review) an emergency communications plan;
-- Seek up-to-date information from local and state health and emergency
management resources; and
-- Remind employees to get in the habit of washing their hands often and
cover their mouths and noses when they cough and sneeze.

For more guidance, CCH recommends the following resources for employers
interested in developing a pandemic response plan:
-- The U.S. government's web site for pandemic preparation provides a
checklist for employers:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/businesschecklist.html;
-- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce lists ten steps for employers:
http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/defense/pandemic/10steps.html;

-- In addition, each state has a web site designed specifically to
provide
pandemic flu information. The web site for each state can be found by
adding a state's name to the end of the following Web address:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business
Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and
software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business
professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major
product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and
Loislaw . Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and
professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law &
Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods,
Ill.Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing
company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the
health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory
sectors. Visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market
positions, customers, brands, and organization.

SOURCE CCH, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Neil Allen, +1-847-267-2179, neil.allen@wolterskluwer.com, or Brenda Au,
+1-847-267-2046, brenda.au@wolterskluwer.com, both of CCH, Wolters Kluwer Law
& Business