Business continuity and pandemic plans for your council
Having a current and well-understood business continuity plan is important, especially if absenteeism rates climb in the coming months.
NSW Health has also advised councils may want to consider:
- whether business practices and modes of service delivery (i.e. face-to-face interactions/highly trafficked council areas) could be adjusted to reduce the risk of transmission
- planning for potentially high rates of absenteeism across all agencies, as people become ill, or need to stay home to care for family
- reinforcing routine occupational health and safety obligations
- identifying and protecting critical staff functions (i.e. highly important functions that may only be undertaken by a small number of people)
- role substitution for vulnerable individuals (current information indicates that people with underlying illnesses that make them more vulnerable to respiratory disease, including those with diabetes, chronic lung disease, kidney failure, people with suppressed immune systems and older people are at a higher risk of serious disease)
- flexible working arrangements (e.g. working from home)
- leave considerations
- cleaning and other infection control procedures – consider more frequent cleaning in high traffic areas, availability of hand cleaner/facial tissues/rubbish bins
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