Outbreaks of infectious diseases have increased with the advent
of globalization. As organizations have expanded across borders,
oceans, continents, the landscape of the pandemic has changed
considerably. Outbreaks such as SARS and H1N1 gave us a glimpse of
the possible havoc, while the most recent West Africa Ebola
outbreak has demonstrated that no industry remains untouched by the
potential implications of an outbreak.
While the level of pandemic preparedness among Canadian business
has traditionally been relatively low, organizations are beginning
to invest in their value chains and employees in order to reduce
the potential impacts of pandemics or high absenteeism.
An effective Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program can help
organizations achieve economic returns before, during, and after an
outbreak by enabling an enhanced level of employee protection while
maintaining critical operations with disciplined and effective
management. Organizational
