While 70% of the businesses surveyed about the possible impact of the avian flu say that a pandemic would hurt their bottom line, fewer than half—47%—have a business continuity plan in place, according to a new study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
The "Avian Flu Pandemic Preparedness Report," which was based on the responses of 450 companies in 38 countries, found that about one-quarter of the Asian companies had budgeted for avian flu preparedness, compared with only 7% in the United States. Respondents in Hong Kong and Singapore were among the best prepared.
More than one-quarter of the companies surveyed—28%—indicated that they had already begun reviewing their employee-related insurance polices, such as business travel and emergency assistance coverage, "in order to protect the financial health and well-being of employees."
The report can be accessed at www.mercerhr.com/avianflu.
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