Crisis Management

Public

Discussion:

I had added it as an attachment. (Here is the memo we used for Swine Flu crisis management.
Dear Colleagues,

In response to the rising number of cases of swine flu in the U.S., the White House has declared a public health emergency. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) clarified that a “public health emergency should not be cause for alarm or panic but rather heightened awareness.”

Our main priority is keeping students, faculty and staff safe and healthy. We are closely monitoring this situation and taking appropriate steps. As we do with any contagious illness, we will consult with the appropriate local public health authorities for guidance on protecting our employees’ health.

What Can You Do?

Prevention: The best defenses against this virus are frequent hand-washing and staying away from sick people. You can help by promoting good hygiene in the workplace. Resources for personal hygiene and information about swine flu may be found on the Employee Portal > Employee Resources > Swine Flu Links.

Encourage Sick People to Stay Home: This is no different than our usual policy, instruct your staff to urge employees who exhibit flu-like symptoms to stay home and send employees who show signs of flu-like symptoms home promptly to avoid spreading the illness to others. If an individual who may be ill refuses to go home, contact me immediately. Do not send anyone to a medical testing facility without consulting with Human Resources.

Preparedness Planning: Now is a good time to review the emergency closing and notification policy and procedure (see policy ER 17.0 on the Employee Portal>Ethics and Compliance) with your staff and remind supervisors to make sure they have their direct reports’ current contact information.

Reporting: You should report immediately to me any confirmed case of swine flu. You must do this in a confidential manner. Do not, under any circumstances, disclose this information to anyone other than those who have an absolute and identifiable need to know. Failing to follow this recommendation not only could result in an overreaction among employees, but this could violate a variety of privacy laws.

I had added it as an attachment. (Here is the memo we used for Swine Flu crisis management. Dear Colleagues, In response to the rising number of cases of swine flu in the U.S., the White House has declared a public health emergency. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) clarified that a “public health emergency should not be cause for alarm or panic but rather heightened awareness.” Our main priority is keeping students, faculty and staff safe and healthy. We are closely monitoring this situation and taking appropriate steps. As we do with any contagious illness, we will consult with the appropriate local public health authorities for guidance on protecting our employees’ health. What Can You Do? Prevention: The best defenses against this virus are frequent hand-washing and staying away from sick people. You can help by promoting good hygiene in the workplace. Resources for personal hygiene and information about swine flu may be found on the Employee Portal > Employee Resources > Swine Flu Links. Encourage Sick People to Stay Home: This is no different than our usual policy, instruct your staff to urge employees who exhibit flu-like symptoms to stay home and send employees who show signs of flu-like symptoms home promptly to avoid spreading the illness to others. If an individual who may be ill refuses to go home, contact me immediately. Do not send anyone to a medical testing facility without consulting with Human Resources. Preparedness Planning: Now is a good time to review the emergency closing and notification policy and procedure (see policy ER 17.0 on the Employee Portal>Ethics and Compliance) with your staff and remind supervisors to make sure they have their direct reports’ current contact information. Reporting: You should report immediately to me any confirmed case of swine flu. You must do this in a confidential manner. Do not, under any circumstances, disclose this information to anyone other than those who have an absolute and identifiable need to know. Failing to follow this recommendation not only could result in an overreaction among employees, but this could violate a variety of privacy laws.

Related Learning Opportunities

ML133 - Goal Setting

ML134 - Career Management

ML135 - Time Management

ML136 - Stress Management

ML137 - Change Management

ML138 - Crisis Management

Managing Workplace Challenges