Section 2: Local hospitals are overwhelmed with people reporting difficulty breathing, and public health officials are encouraging people across the city to “evacuate” as a precaution. The headquarters is currently on top of this explosion. The company needs to decide what to tell its employees to do but is not sure if it has the legal right to tell people not to leave. People think that terrorists caused the explosion.
Section 3: The company tells workers not to leave the building, but many do, saying they don’t trust what they’re hearing and should go home and take care of their families. The guards at the front door also want to know what people on the street who want to hide in the company lobby will say. The restaurant reports that it has already sold out for lunch.
Section 4: The immediate danger passes, and authorities say the explosion was accidental. Many workers were hospitalized, and others were upset that the company’s cafeteria did not have any other items available.
Scenario #6: Pandemic flu strikes
This scenario is based on a proposal by Joe Flach, VP of Eagle Rock Alliance, a business continuity consulting firm in West Orange, NJ.
Part 1: A flu epidemic begins to sicken and kill people in Hong Kong, where the company is out of business. The medical community fears that the disease will spread to other continents and says that anyone who has been to Hong Kong in the past three weeks could be infected. As a precautionary measure, the company is considering asking employees who have visited Hong Kong in the past three weeks not to return to work until they see a doctor. The company is also considering having security at the front door ask every guest if they have been to Hong Kong in the past three weeks.
Section 2: There are few people in the region who are diagnosed with this disease, the rate of absenteeism from schools is increasing. Employees started calling in sick, but it is not clear whether they are sick or afraid to go out in public. There aren’t enough people around so the company is struggling to maintain systems, take orders, and pay bills.
Section 3: The disease is widespread, and the absenteeism rate rises to around 50%. Some employees are sick or caring for sick family members. Workers are asking the company to provide hand sanitizer and masks, even though the medical community says those safety measures may not be effective. Important tasks are not performed. Management is considering closing offices and asking everyone to work from home until the danger passes.
Section 4: The disease has increased dramatically, but many workers still want to go back to work.
We hope these scenarios give you some ideas for improving yourself and your employees. Enjoy the process, and good luck!
Editor’s note: This article, originally published in 2006, has been updated to reflect recent trends.
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