Serious thought is being given to the use of a remote workforce to prevent the economy from catching its own case of the swine flu. And remember, the flu is most dangerous to those already in compromised, weakened states.
This week the Washington Post identified several companies with contingency plans for the potential pandemic. The plans, which the Post characterized Orwellianly as "social distancing policies," have one thing in common: a workforce prepared to continue operations remotely. A few schools have already closed or flirted with closing, and if more should follow suit some working parents will be left with telecommuting as their best option for remaining employed. If the swine flu pandemic should come to be, a remote workforce could have the additional advantage of slowing the spread of the disease through tightly packed cubicle farms.
Whatever happens it is certainly more productive to plan than it is to panic. Employees should consider whether they have access to what they need at home to weather a pandemic including:
- A reliable computer
- Internet access
- A phone that can be used for business calls, conference calls, etc.
- A data back-up system
- Data security measures if required in your line of work
Even if the swine flu fails to reach pandemic proportions, making these preparations now could prove useful in the future. Maybe it will be the next great national emergency, or maybe just a day to work at home while a sick child misses school.
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Readers, if you were wondering if the delightful irony of a disease that normally spreads from animal to animal in dense herds potentially spreading from worker to worker in tightly packed cubicle farms was lost on me, rest assured it was not. A lovely bit of commentary on human progress, don't you think?
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