Corona virus Contingency plan - What have you done in your company?

[RoxaneB]

We are finding the biggest risk is decisions on staff whether to send them home or keep them here. The usual spring colds are doing the rounds as well as Covid-19.

Add in the beginnings of spring allergies and it can be difficult for a non-clinician to diagnose an individual from their cough or sneeze or sniffle.

So far this week we have had various people display partial symptoms but have been well otherwise. My son is an apprentice here he started coughing yesterday morning and sent half the staff into a blind panic, with demands to send him home straight away. It was then pointed out that if he went I went and also the last two remaining members of senior management, the only person in admin who is not a temp plus three of the workers who had been with him all week.

I fail to understand your statement that your son's coughing would warrant of all senior management plus the admin leaving. Are they all needed to take him home? Could you not simply take him home yourself and return the next day?

That said, if they felt it was COVID-19, shutting down would have been the smart thing to do since they had all just been exposed. There may have been 3 workers with him, but they were probably all interacting with other staff to some degree.

This meant shutting the doors and locking up for a minimum of two weeks. The rest of the staff were then in uproar as they cant afford two weeks sick pay to live on so he was isolated in a separate building to work in (wearing a respirator) and by dinner time had stopped coughing and has been alright since.

Are there any business and/or employee strategies in place where you are located, @mattador78 ? In Canada, they're looking at and/or have implemented safeguards for unemployment coverage, deferred mortgage payments, banning landlords from kicking people out for lack of rent payments, small business financial support, etc.

 

[mattador78]

Add in the beginnings of spring allergies and it can be difficult for a non-clinician to diagnose an individual from their cough or sneeze or sniffle.



I fail to understand your statement that your son's coughing would warrant of all senior management plus the admin leaving. Are they all needed to take him home? Could you not simply take him home yourself and return the next day?

That said, if they felt it was COVID-19, shutting down would have been the smart thing to do since they had all just been exposed. There may have been 3 workers with him, but they were probably all interacting with other staff to some degree.



Are there any business and/or employee strategies in place where you are located, @mattador78 ? In Canada, they're looking at and/or have implemented safeguards for unemployment coverage, deferred mortgage payments, banning landlords from kicking people out for lack of rent payments, small business financial support, etc.

Bit more background as senior management myself we all share an smallish office and with my son living with me, according to the uk guidelines if we decided he was ill we would all be out isolating due to our time spent in close proximity with each other. Mortgage relief has been mentioned here and small business support but due to the fluid nature of this situation this is all changing very quickly and the majority aren't sure. I myself have enough savings to cover 12 months of either me or my wife out of work or half of that for both of us, I know a lot of people who cant afford to miss one week or to take the two weeks on statutory sick pay. Worst thing is I only just took my mortgage out in October.

 

[Randy]

This is nothing more than something that should be in every Business Continuity Program, and any proactive organization should have addressed this ages ago

 

[L.Soad]

Bit more background as senior management myself we all share an smallish office and with my son living with me, according to the uk guidelines if we decided he was ill we would all be out isolating due to our time spent in close proximity with each other. Mortgage relief has been mentioned here and small business support but due to the fluid nature of this situation this is all changing very quickly and the majority aren't sure. I myself have enough savings to cover 12 months of either me or my wife out of work or half of that for both of us, I know a lot of people who cant afford to miss one week or to take the two weeks on statutory sick pay. Worst thing is I only just took my mortgage out in October.

I saw a picture of the people going in the subway in London the day after BJ anounced that there must be social distancing. caption was something like : thats what's happening when you ask for social distanciation without making sure everyone can do so financially. Canada (and Quebec) took social measures and it shows (in Montreal for exemple, with empty metros).

 

[Golfman25]

Goldman
But what kind of reaction? if we are facing something unknown.
Please comment because, one action is by common sense and on the other hand what iso 9001 require us to do in cases like this.
Thanks

Try this. This is a situation where you put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodby.

Two days ago it was business as "usual" with some precautions. Today we are facing shut down and possibly never reopening, as our customers are facing bankruptcy. You can't contingency plan that.

 

[Mikey324]

I think most people considered a pandemic in their BCP's. We solidified ours after the H1N1 incident. As Golfman stated, and i agree, what can you do in a case like this?? For some people, their suppliers are shut down. Plan for an alternate supplier, they may be shut down soon.
In other cases, its the customer that's shut down. I can see people having to go with force majeure.

 

[John Predmore]

You may find this ironic, the alleged origin of the curse" May you live in interesting times."

No one is sure who introduced the term but the person who did most to bring it to the public's attention was Robert Kennedy. In a speech in Cape Town in June 1966, Kennedy said:

There is a Chinese curse which says 'May he live in interesting times.' Like it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.​

 

[Randy]

I think most people considered a pandemic in their BCP's. We solidified ours after the H1N1 incident. As Golfman stated, and i agree, what can you do in a case like this?? For some people, their suppliers are shut down. Plan for an alternate supplier, they may be shut down soon.
In other cases, its the customer that's shut down. I can see people having to go with force majeure.

Good question, even though it's not exactly the same thing there are some similarities. I got to meet 1stSgt Howard before he passed away and he confirmed what isn't in his MOH citation, when things got to their worse with absolutely no hope of survival, he and his men lay on that hilltop, laughed and threw rocks at the NVA. Sometimes that may be the key to any survival, just laugh at the situation and do something no matter how crazy it sounds............

Spoiler: War Story

Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

GUNNERY SERGEANT JIMMIE E. HOWARD
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Platoon Leader, Company "C", First Reconnaissance Battalion, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in action against communist insurgent forces in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 16 June 1966. During the night Gunnery Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Howard's platoon of eighteen men was assaulted by a numerically superior force consisting of a well-trained North Vietnamese Battalion employing heavy small arms fire, automatic weapons and accurate weapon fire. Without hesitation he immediately organized his platoon to personally supervise the precarious defense of Hill 488. Utterly oblivious to the unrelenting fury of hostile enemy weapons fire and hand grenades he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire while directing the operation of his small force. As the enemy attack progressed and the enemy fire increased in volume and accuracy and despite his mounting casualties, Gunnery Sergeant Howard continued to set an example of calmness and courage. Moving from position to position, he inspired his men with dynamic leadership and courageous fighting spirit until he was struck and painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy hand grenade. Unable to move his legs and realizing that the position was becoming untenable, he distributed his ammunition to the remaining members of his platoon and skillfully directed friendly aircraft and artillery strikes with uncanny accuracy upon the enemy. Dawn found the beleaguered force diminished by five killed and all but one wounded. When rescue helicopters proceeded to Gunnery Sergeant Howard's position, he directed them away from his badly mauled force and called additional air strikes and directed devastating small arms fire on the enemy thus making the landing zone secure as possible. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his platoon to heroic endeavor in the face of overwhelming odds, and reflected the highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant Howard, the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.[/spoiler

 

[Mike S.]

Wow, what a great story.

I guess, as Josey Wales said, sometimes ya just gotta get "plumb mad-dog mean".

 

[Randy]

Wow, what a great story.

I guess, as Josey Wales said, sometimes ya just gotta get "plumb mad-dog mean".

Yep, but within reason and within bounds of course, nobody can go completely Machiavellian