This Pandemic Is Just Starting. Here’s What Business Leaders Need to Do to Adapt

In the late 1990s, Regina Phelps, a crisis management consultant, added “pandemic planning” to her company’s list of services. While people thought she was crazy at the time, now her phone is ringing off the hook. She says there are several things leaders need to do in a time like this, and they need to do them quickly. Firstly, know who’s sick. “If someone has COVID-19, you cannot say who the person is [because] of HIPAA,” Phelps says. “[But] you need to, however, interview the employee to determine who they had contact with and then interview those people and send them home for 14 days.” Workplace environments also need to be readjusted. Consider working from home options if possible. Employees should not be working in close quarters. Support structures also need to be deployed where appropriate. This is a distressing time for people, and their employers should step up to the plate with emotional support and counseling options. “Many are going to be extremely uncomfortable because for them this just happened overnight,” Phelps says.