H1N1  HR POLICY  WORKPLACE HEALTH  MERCER

Global - Despite the threat of the H1N1 virus, nearly half of companies say they do not have proper HR policies for health-related emergencies.

According to the latest Mercer survey which polled more than 400 companies worldwide, 40% of employers say they do not have such policies in place, even for companies that are in countries   exposed to swine flu.

The survey also found more than half of the companies are considering creating backup and contingency plans in response to the outbreak, according to a report by The Business Journal. Others revealed they plan to restrict or cancel business travel (43%), or allow employees to work from home (41%).

Other steps include voluntary quarantine for employees exposed to risk, enforced quarantine on employees judged at risk, cancelling meetings or conferences, screening staff or visitors returning from travel, requiring medical check-ups and reviewing health or insurance plans. However, 24% of the respondents report taking no special actions.

Danielle Dorling, a consultant in Mercer's HR effectiveness consulting business, says it is important for employers to develop a plan for dealing with HR issues which may arise in an event of a health care emergency or pandemic. "In particular, organisations with a global work force and decentralised HR units need to have a coherent procedure in place for employee care in the event of a health emergency."

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