‘Most companies have no business continuity plan to combat outbreak’

A survey conducted by ‘Mercer’ between February 6, 2020 and February 19, 2020 has shown that over 300 companies (or 51 per cent of sampled firms) in 37 countries globally have no plans to combat emergencies such as COVID-19.

Associate Consultant at Mercer, Didintle Kwape said, “We have seen the negative impact on businesses that coronavirus outbreak has caused in parts of the world.

“It is important for organisations in Africa to also be prepared. Having a solid Business Continuity Plan (BCP) that focuses on operations and employees will help organisations navigate effectively during these challenging times.”

She explained that implementing a BCP enhances operations, while ensuring that organisations are least affected during disasters, whether cyber-attack, earthquake or epidemic likely to impact businesses globally.

The study also revealed that businesses have reduced unnecessary travel and were considering banning travels globally, particularly to areas highly affected by the virus.

“More than 80 per cent of companies that have required employees who recently travelled to highly affected areas apply an isolation period, where they work from home and were still being paid for the duration of isolation,” she said, insisting that companies should focus on maintaining employees health and safety.

Kwape noted that most companies were monitoring the situation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local government advisories, while being cautious of the possibility of evacuating employees and their families from affected areas.