CQ - EXPT U9 - Managing A Global Pandemic - English - V2

Level : Chartered Qualification in HRM
Unit Code : CQ-EXPT U9
Session : Managing a Global Pandemic
Name & Index No: …………………………………………
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (Inc)

www.cipmlk.org
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka
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Unit Title Managing a Global Pandemic
Level Chartered Qualification in HRM (CQHRM)
Competency Strategic Leadership and Navigation
Unit Code CQ-EXPT U9
Unit Review Date 12th July 2021
Purpose and aim of the unit

This unit provides knowledge on the definition of a global pandemic and impact on people, societies,
nations, and the world. The unit also provides knowledge on the causes which creates pandemics. The
unit also explains the unpredictable power of nature and impacts on the world of work. This unit also
provides knowledge on how to manage a pandemic and “Bounce Forward”.
Learning Outcomes
On the completion of this unit students will;
 Appraise the broad definition of a global pandemic
 Evaluate the impact of a global pandemic
 Analyze the courses and effects of a pandemic
 Evaluate elements of nature which create adverse effects on human life
 Appraise the remedial measures and strategies to overcome a pandemic
Assessment modes
 Classroom Presentation
Guided Learning Hours

The guided learning hours for this unit would be 03 with an additional 20 hours of self-managed
learning
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Contents
01. Introduction to Global Pandemics and managing a Pandemic.....................................................4
List of Figures
Figure 1. Tracking a Potential Pandemic..............................................................................................19
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01. Introduction to Global Pandemics and managing a Pandemic

Some of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
Throughout the course of history, disease outbreaks have ravaged humanity, sometimes changing the
course of history and, at times, signaling the end of entire civilizations. Here are some of the worst
epidemics and pandemics, experienced in the recent times.
- Owen Jarus - Live Science Contributor, All about History March 20, 2020
ZIKA Virus epidemic: 2015-Present day
The impact of the recent Zika epidemic in South America and Central America won't be known for
several years. In the meantime, scientists face a race against time to bring the virus under control. The
Zika virus is usually spread through mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, although it can also be sexually
transmitted in humans. While Zika is usually not harmful to adults or children, it can attack infants
who are still in the womb and cause birth defects. The type of mosquitoes that carry Zika flourish best
in warm, humid climates, making South America, Central America and parts of the southern United
States prime areas for the virus to flourish
West African Ebola epidemic: 2014-2016
Ebola ravaged West Africa between 2014 and 2016, with 28,600 reported cases and 11,325 deaths.
The first case to be reported was in Guinea in December 2013, then the disease quickly spread to
Liberia and Sierra Leone. The bulk of the cases and deaths occurred in those three countries. A
smaller number of cases occurred in Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, the United States and Europe, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. There is no cure for Ebola, although efforts at
finding a vaccine are ongoing. The first known cases of Ebola occurred in Sudan and the Democratic
Republic of Congo in 1976, and the virus may have originated in bats.
H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic: 2009-2010
The 2009 swine flu pandemic was caused by a new strain of H1N1 that originated in Mexico in the
spring of 2009 before spreading to the rest of the world. In one year, the virus infected as many as 1.4
billion people across the globe and killed between 151,700 and 575,400 people, according to the
CDC.
The 2009 flu pandemic primarily affected children and young adults, and 80% of the deaths were in
people younger than 65, the CDC reported. That was unusual, considering that most strains of flu
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viruses, including those that cause seasonal flu, cause the highest percentage of deaths in people ages
65 and older. But in the case of the swine flu, older people seemed to have already built up enough
immunity to the group of viruses that H1N1 belongs to, so weren't affected as much. A vaccine for
the H1N1 virus that caused the swine flu is now included in the annual flu vaccine.
AIDS pandemic and epidemic: 1981-present day
AIDS has claimed an estimated 35 million lives since it was first identified. HIV, which is the virus
that causes AIDS, likely developed from a chimpanzee virus that transferred to humans in West
Africa in the 1920s. The virus made its way around the world, and AIDS was a pandemic by the late
20th century. Now, about 64% of the estimated 40 million living with human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) live in sub-Saharan Africa.
For decades, the disease had no known cure, but medication developed in the 1990s now allows
people with the disease to experience a normal life span with regular treatment. Even more
encouraging, two people have been cured of HIV as of early 2020.
Asian Flu: 1957-1958
The Asian Flu pandemic was another global showing for influenza. With its roots in China, the
disease claimed more than 1 million lives. The virus that caused the pandemic was a blend of avian
flu viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the disease spread rapidly and
was reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and the coastal cities of the
United States in the summer of 1957. The total death toll was more than 1.1 million worldwide, with
116,000 deaths occurring in the United States.
Spanish Flu 1918 - 1920
This was known as the Mother of all Pandemics. The “Spanish” influenza pandemic of 1918–1920,
which caused approximately 50 million deaths worldwide, remains an ominous warning to public
health. It was the fifth year of the World War I, when the influenza pandemic had been widespread
from America to all over Europe. The pandemic hit an unprepared and suffering part of the world in
three consecutive waves during spring, fall and winter in a period of twelve months. During 1918,
Europe was devastated by the First World War, and Spain as a neutral country had all the time to deal
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with the disease and its consequences and claim the name. The pandemic infected 3% to 5% percent
of the world's population including remote Pacific islands and the Arctic.
Definition of a Pandemic
A pandemic is defined as “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing
international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people”. The classical definition
includes nothing about population immunity, virology or disease severity. By this definition,
pandemics can be said to occur annually in each of the temperate southern and northern hemispheres,
given that seasonal epidemics cross international boundaries and affect a large number of people.
However, seasonal epidemics are not considered pandemics.
-www.who.int
Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases as per Word Health Organization
 Chikungunya
 Cholera
 Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
 Ebola virus disease
 Hendra virus infection
 Influenza (pandemic, seasonal, zoonotic)
 Lassa fever
 Marburg virus disease
 Meningitis
 MERS-COV
 Monkey pox
 Nipah virus infection
 Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
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 Plague
 Rift Valley fever
 SARS
 Smallpox
 Tularaemia
 Yellow fever
 Zika virus disease
Pandemic VS Epidemic
A simple way to know the differences between an epidemic and a pandemic is to remember the letter
“P” in pandemic, which means a pandemic has a passport. A pandemic is an epidemic that travels.
An epidemic is actively spreading; new cases of the disease substantially exceeds what is expected.
More broadly it is used to describe any problem that is out of control, such as “the opioid epidemic”
An epidemic is often localized to a region, but the number of those infected in that region is
significantly higher than normal. For Example: when COVID 19 was limited to Wuhan China, it was
an epidemic. The geographical spread turned it into a pandemic
- Intermountain Healthcare April 2020
Endemics on the other hand, are a constant presence in a specific location. Malaria is endemic to parts
of Africa. Ice is endemic to Antarctica
 Epidemic: A disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population or
region
 Pandemic: An epidemic that has spread over multiple countries and continents
 Endemic: Something that belongs to particular people or country
 Outbreak: A greater-than-anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases. It can also be a
single case in a new area. If it is not quickly controlled, and outbreak can become an epidemic
Courses of Pandemics and power of nature

Five reasons why Pandemic like COVID 19 are becoming more likely
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1) Global Travel
In 2020, people in many countries around the world are almost as used to hopping on an international
flight as they are catching a bus or a train to another city. Air travel makes it possible for someone to
travel halfway across the globe in less time than it takes for many diseases to incubate, making it
extremely difficult to prevent their spread. In 1990, 1 billion people travelled by air, a number that
more than quadrupled to 4.2 billion by 2018. Without this extraordinary global mobility, the new
coronavirus may have stayed in China and neighboring countries, or at least not spread so quickly.
Instead, the millions of flights that take-off each month helped fuel the spread of the coronavirus to
most of the world within a few months.
2) Urbanization
The world is transitioning to being more urban. In 1950, roughly two-thirds of the world lived in rural
settings, and the rest in urban dwellings. By 2050 the UN predicts this will have reversed, with 66%
of people living in urbanized settings – and most of this growth will happen in Asia and Africa. Many
of the cities with growing numbers of people are already struggling with infrastructure, housing,
sanitation, transport and health care facilities. In many cases this means an increasing number of
people living in overcrowded and unhygienic environments in which infectious diseases can thrive,
without adequate health systems that can deal with these threats
3) Climate Change
Climate change affects every aspect of human existence, from access to water and food to severe
weather events and extremes of heat and cold. It can also affect the spread of disease in a number of
ways, such as by altering the natural range of disease carrying insects, like mosquitoes.
WHO estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will kill an additional quarter of a
million people a year through the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. An
increasing risk of flooding, which can be brought about by more frequent extreme weather events,
also means that outbreaks of waterborne diseases, like cholera and other diarrheal diseases, are also
much more likely.
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And climate change is also radically changing where people live, with climate shock events resulting
in significant human displacement, often leading to populations moving into already-crowded cities
or sometimes crossing borders into other countries.
This can trigger conflict and an increase in the number of people living in refugee camps, where
infectious disease epidemics can spiral out of control.
4) Increased Human – Animal Contact
The way in which people and animals come into contact today is significantly increasing the risk of
outbreaks of zoonotic diseases - those that originate in animals. When pathogens jump the species
barrier, from animals to humans, their ability to spread and the severity of the disease they cause is a
potentially lethal and unknown.
As people venture into new areas, because of population growth or displacement, in search of wild
food or encroachment on the environment, they may enter into animal habitats that have never had
human contact before. Many recent disease epidemics have originated in this way, and the ongoing
coronavirus pandemic is suspected to have originated in bats, just as recent Ebola epidemics have.
The national and international trade in wildlife also puts people in contact with animal infections that
can then spread from person to person and potentially become a pandemic.
5) Health Worker Shortages
A WHO report this year, showed that the constant migration of nurses from low- and middle-income
countries to high-income countries has left many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America with too
few nurses and other health workers to adequately care for their populations. These are also the
regions where epidemic diseases, with the potential to become pandemics, are most likely to
originate. Without nurses and other key workers, health systems will be vulnerable to the increasing
threat of disease outbreaks.
From Animals to Humans: Zoonoses and Their Impact

A zoonosis is any disease or infection transmitted to humans from other animals. Zoonotic diseases
include a diverse group of infections, which can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, other
organisms or abnormal protein agents (prions). Zoonoses are numerous – the WHO records over 200
– and their study constitutes one of the areas of greatest interest in human and veterinary medicine.
Rabies, leptospirosis, anthrax, SARS, MERS, yellow fever, dengue, HIV, Ebola, Chikungunya
and
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Coronaviruses are all zoonotic, as is the most widespread flu. So is malaria, carried by mosquitoes,
which is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths and direct costs of more than US$12 billion every
year. So too was the bubonic plague, caused by the Yersina pestis bacterium transmitted to our
species by fleas on rats, which in the Middle Ages killed up to a third of the European population
Wildlife Trafficking, Bushmeat and Pandemics

 The unregulated trade in wild animals and direct contact with animal parts exposes humans to
contact with viruses and other pathogens hosted by those species.
 As bushmeat consumption and trade grow, hunting, transportation, handling and cooking
practices that do not follow food safety standards pose risks to human health, including through
the transmission of pathogens.
 Wild animals of all kinds are trafficked along commercial routes that connect continents and
distant countries, potentially amplifying the spread of pathogens
 Wild animals, or those that are captured and bred in captivity for consumption of meat or other
parts, have enormous potential to transmit viruses, particularly when packed close together
 China’s recent ban on eating wild animals and crackdown on illegal and unregulated wildlife
trade is timely. But much more should be done to effectively tackle this problem at the global
scale.
Pandemics and the power of nature

Why does nature matter?
Nature is our life-support system. From the fresh air we breathe to the clean water we drink, nature
provides the essentials we all rely on for our survival and well-being. And it also holds the key to our
prosperity, with millions of livelihoods and much of our economic activity also depending on the
natural world. These immense benefits to humanity, estimated to be worth around US$125 trillion a
year, are only possible if we maintain a rich diversity of wildlife.
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We know that we are losing nature faster than it can restore itself. And without urgent action,
significant harm to people and planet is inevitable: inadequate food and water for our growing global
population, significant harm to our economies, and the mass extinction of an estimated one million
species.
The world is no stranger to these issues, with governments already pledging action to tackle nature
loss through the UN’s global agreement on nature, the Convention on Biological Diversity. But the
convention’s targets for 2020, set almost a decade ago, will in all cases not be met.
Meanwhile, the warning signs continue to mount. Populations of mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians and fish have declined on average by 60 per cent in the past 40 years – and 75 per cent of
land has been significantly altered by human activities.
Why deforestation and extinctions make pandemics more likely
As humans diminish biodiversity by cutting down forests and building more infrastructure, they’re
increasing the risk of disease pandemics such as COVID-19. Many ecologists have long suspected
this, but a new study helps to reveal why: while some species are going extinct, those that tend to
survive and thrive rats and bats, for instanceare more likely to host potentially dangerous pathogens
that can make the jump to humans.
The analysis of around 6,800 ecological communities on 6 continents adds to a growing body of
evidence that connects trends in human development and biodiversity loss to disease outbreaks but
stops short of projecting where new disease outbreaks might occur.
- Jeff Tollefson
Pandemics: Risks-Impacts and Mitigation
- Nita
Madhav, Ben Oppenheim, Mark Gallivan, Prime Mulembakani, Edward Rubin, and Nathan
Wolfe.
The international community has made progress toward preparing for and mitigating the impacts of
pandemics. The 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic and growing concerns
about the threat posed by avian influenza led many countries to devise pandemic plans. Delayed
reporting of early SARS cases also led the World Health Assembly to update the International Health
Regulations (IHR) to compel all World Health Organization member states to meet specific standards
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for detecting, reporting on, and responding to outbreaks (WHO 2005). The framework put into place
by the updated IHR contributed to a more coordinated global response during the 2009 influenza
pandemic.
International donors also have begun to invest in improving preparedness through refined standards
and funding for building health capacity
- Wolicki and others 2016
Risks
 Pandemics have occurred throughout history and appear to be increasing in frequency,

particularly because of the increasing emergence of viral disease from animals.
 Pandemic risk is driven by the combined effects of spark risk (where a pandemic is likely to arise)
and spread risk (how likely it is to diffuse broadly through human populations)
 Some geographic regions with high spark risk, including Central and West Africa, lag behind the
rest of the globe in pandemic preparedness
 Probabilistic modeling and analytical tools such as exceedance probability (EP) curves are
valuable for assessing pandemic risk and estimating the potential burden of pandemics
 Influenza is the most likely pathogen to cause a severe pandemic. EP analysis indicates that in any
given year, a 1 percent probability exists of an influenza pandemic that causes nearly 6 million
pneumonia and influenza deaths or more globally.
Impacts
 Pandemics can cause significant, widespread increases in morbidity and mortality and have
disproportionately higher mortality impacts on LMICs.
 Pandemics can cause economic damage through multiple channels, including short-term fiscal
shocks and longer-term negative shocks to economic growth.
 Individual behavioral changes, such as fear-induced aversion to workplaces and other public
gathering places, are a primary cause of negative shocks to economic growth during pandemics.
 Some pandemic mitigation measures can cause significant social and economic disruption.
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 In countries with weak institutions and legacies of political instability, pandemics can increase
political stresses and tensions. In these contexts, outbreak response measures such as quarantines
have sparked violence and tension between states and citizens.
Mitigation
 Pathogens with pandemic potential vary widely in the resources, capacities, and strategies
required for mitigation. However, there are also common prerequisites for effective preparedness
and response.
 The most cost-effective strategies for increasing pandemic preparedness, especially in resource-
constrained settings, consist of investing to strengthen core public health infrastructure, including
water and sanitation systems; increasing situational awareness; and rapidly extinguishing sparks
that could lead to pandemics.
 Once a pandemic has started, a coordinated response should be implemented focusing on
maintenance of situational awareness, public health messaging, reduction of transmission, and
care for and treatment of the ill.
 Successful contingency planning and response require surge capacity—the ability to scale up the
delivery of health interventions proportionately for the severity of the event, the pathogen, and the
population at risk.
 For many poorly prepared countries, surge capacity likely will be delivered by foreign aid
providers. This is a tenable strategy during localized outbreaks, but global surge capacity has
limits that likely will be reached during a full-scale global pandemic as higher-capacity states
focus on their own populations.
 Risk transfer mechanisms, such as risk pooling and sovereign-level catastrophe insurance, provide
a viable option for managing pandemic risk.
Knowledge Gaps
 Spending and costs specifically associated with pandemic preparedness and response efforts are
poorly tracked.
 There is no widely accepted, consistent methodology for estimating the economic impacts of
pandemics.
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 Most data regarding the impacts of pandemics and the benefits and costs of mitigation measures
come from high-income countries (HICs), leading to biases and potential blind spots regarding
the risks, consequences, and optimal interventions specific to LMICs.
Process of managing Pandemics

Managing through FLU and other Pandemics in the workplace
Throughout history, the influenza pandemics have had devastating consequences. Whenever any
widespread virus, bacterium or other biological threat is presented, employers should take care to
protect their human resources and their future business operations. Employers should anticipate that
they will periodically face epidemics and other biological threats and take proactive steps to protect
their employees and their organizations.
"It's better to be prepared for something that doesn't happen than unprepared for something
that does,"
- Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease
Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
Preparing for a Biological Threat

While some emergencies, such as flu epidemics or Midwestern blizzards, strike more often than
others, the actions an organization takes to prepare for something as common as a flu epidemic will
help it get ready for even graver environmental threats.
Planning for Health- Related Emergencies

Employers should prepare for the possibility that a large portion of their workforce will be unable to
work during the flu season. The business continuity plan's focus should be the solution to this
problem. Questions the plan should answer include:
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 How many absences can we handle before business operations are interrupted?
 How do we keep operations running during an interruption?
 What changes can we make to keep the business operating effectively?
Labor Relations Considerations

Employers operating in a unionized work environment have additional concerns regarding epidemic
planning. During the business continuity planning process, unionized employers should closely
review their collective bargaining agreements to determine whether special provisions have been
made in the event of a disruption of business operations. For example, some agreements may have
provisions that provide paid time off to union workers in the event of an emergency when employees
are prohibited from reporting to work
Implementing Preventive Measures

An employer does not have to wait for disaster to strike before putting a plan into action. A positive
aspect of influenza epidemic planning is that an employer can use a number of preventive measures
to limit the effect of the illness on the workplace
Many of the most commonly suggested preventive measures are inexpensive and easy to obtain. They
include providing tissues and hand sanitizers to employees. Employers can educate employees on
proper ways of washing hands and what to do if flu-like symptoms develop. Communication on these
precautions should occur frequently with employees, and employers should hang posters in
bathrooms and eating areas on the proper way to stop the spread of germs.
Vaccinations
A program of timely vaccinations is one of the best ways to control flu epidemics. Even in industries
in which flu vaccinations are not mandatory, an employer can strongly urge employees to get flu
shots and provide incentives to employees who do so.
Incentives may include:
 Paid time off to get the shot.

 Providing the shot free to employees.
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 Reimbursing employees for the cost of the shot.
 Hosting a flu shot clinic.
Screening
Employers can also implement a screening program in the workplace. Screening can include
providing free testing to employees who are exhibiting symptoms of the flu or requiring employees
returning from high-risk areas to stay home for a predetermined amount of time to ensure that flu-like
symptoms do not develop
Actions before, during and after pandemic
HR Challenges in managing a pandemic
Despite planning and implementation of preventive measures, disaster can strike. The key in such
situations is to ensure that employees remain healthy and that operations are affected as little as
possible. In the event that operations are severely limited, the focus should be to ensure that business
operations resume as safely and quickly as practicable
Keeping Employees Healthy
A key strategy in getting through the flu season is to keep the workforce as healthy as possible.
Depending on the severity of the situation, organizations can take various actions, including:
 Sending symptomatic employees home.

 Implementing quarantines for employees returning from high-risk areas.
 Limiting face-to-face meetings.
 Allowing for telework.
 Temporarily shutting down operations.
Benefits Considerations
How to handle paid leave benefits is one of the biggest concerns businesses struggle with during the
flu season. With certain legal exceptions, employers are free to establish their own paid leave benefits
and administer those benefits according to the best interests of the business
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Questions to ask when reviewing paid leave policies and practices include:
 How will the organization handle "excessive" absences related to employee illness?
 How does the employer's current policy accommodate family illnesses?
 How will the organization apply its paid leave policy in the event of a school or child care facility
closing?
 In the midst of an epidemic, will the employer still require the same level of leave substantiation
(Example: doctor's notes) that it normally requires?
 Is the implementation of flexible leave policies an option—even if temporary?
 How will the employer address employee absences related to obtaining the vaccination for
themselves and their families?
Compensation Considerations
Employers must decide whether to pay employees during health-related absences. If pay is provided,
the next question to address is, at what point does the employer stop paying the employee when the
employee is not performing work.
Employee Relations Considerations
Employers should also make decisions regarding the application of attendance policies. Employers
with no-fault attendance policies may decide to temporarily forgo counting absences during a flu
epidemic. They will need to decide how stringently to apply sick leave and unscheduled absence
rules.
Employer communications should provide relevant information and encourage employees to remain
calm. Organizations should keep the following in mind when developing employee communications:
 Inform employees that the company will take any reasonable and necessary steps to ensure a safe
and healthy work environment.
 Identify the biological threat, including typical symptoms.
 Include information on how to protect against getting the illness.
 Advise employees of any changes to policies.
 Notify employees of any discontinued travel.
 Ask employees with concerns to contact HR.
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Global Considerations
HR professionals should assess the risk to the employee and the risk to the business if something
were to happen to a particular employee
Global Pandemic Planning
Because the typical workplace pulls employees together in close daily contact, a contagious disease
outbreak may cause heightened concerns for multinational employers. Multinational companies have
a keen interest in keeping staff healthy and in containing the spread of a disease, not only for the
obvious reason of employee welfare but also to keep worldwide business operations running, to
minimize liability exposure and to avoid adverse publicity.
The elements in an effective pandemic plan vary widely by employer—with the medical issues
interrelating with the legal. Pandemic plans tend to address topics as varied as:
 Workplace safety precautions.
 Employee travel restrictions.
 Stranded employee travelers unable to return home.
 Mandatory medical check-up, vaccination and medication.
 Mandatory reporting of exposure (employee reporting to employer and employer reporting to
public health authorities).
 Employee quarantine and isolation
Complying with Different Laws in Different Countries

A multinational employer will need to implement a pandemic plan across its worldwide operations.
However, local laws, including labor, employment and health laws, could affect the plan's legality on
a local basis—both in terms of the plan's content and its implementation. Failure to take into account
local laws could create local legal liability for the multinational employer.
Crisis Management and Contingency Planning
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Contingency planning by forward-looking companies, is becoming more coordinated, headed by
pandemic or crisis teams that tap principal functions, including human resources, operations, security,
legal counsel, and communications. This planning focuses on nonmedical risk-mitigation strategies to
reduce infection and maintain business continuity.
In doing their planning, businesses should look to the WHO’s six-phase pandemic-tracking model,
which indicates the WHO’s assessment of the threat.
Tracking a Potential Pandemic
Figure 1. Tracking a Potential Pandemic
Business Continuity Planning
A business continuity plan is a logistical plan that details how an organization will recover interrupted
critical business functions after a disaster or disruption has occurred. Employers should take actions
to review existing business continuity plans currently in place to ensure that the plans will work in the
event of an epidemic. If no business continuity plan exists, employers should begin to develop a plan
for a worst-case scenario that may occur during a pandemic
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Conclusion
As human beings, we all share the same sorrows, the same hopes, the same potential. The Covid-19
pandemic has reminded us how interdependent we are: what happens to one person can soon affect
many others, even on the far side of our planet.
Therefore, it is up to all of us to try to cultivate peace of mind and to think about what we can do for
others, including those that we never see. It is natural to feel worry and fear at a time when so many
are suffering. But only by developing calmness and clear-sightedness can we help others and, in so
doing, even help ourselves. In my own life, I have often found that it is the most difficult challenges
that have helped me gain strength.
The current global health crisis also reminds us that what affects the human family has to be
addressed by all of us. The solution to this, as to many other problems, especially concerning the
environment, depends on international co-operation. Ultimately, if humanity is to thrive, we must
remember that we are one.
- The Dalai Lama
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Additional Reading
LEADERSHIP DURING COVID - 19 PANDEMIC - A CRITICAL TEST OF

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Sri Lanka has not escaped unscathed and the pandemic has affected revenue streams of many
businesses in the country. Besides several companies have been affected both on supply and demand
sides creating havoc in the world of business. Due to the current crisis, businesses across a range of
the Sri Lankan economic sectors such as manufacturing, travel and tourism, and even in service
industry, are experiencing different proportions of problems spanning from demand to supply and
both in some instances.
Furthermore, from an organization and in particular from an HR perspective, the impact of Covid -19
on the employees have been enormous across many dimensions. Restriction and difficulties in
movement, adopting adequate health related preventive measures, use of PPEs, social distancing and
in short the discomforts of adopting to a host of conditions demanded by the ‘new normal’ are
definitely not welcome by humankind in any stretch of imagination. Nevertheless, proactive adoption
of such safeguards have become imperative given the ruthlessness and contagiousness of this deadly
decease to the society at large. Such are the employee centric vulnerabilities and potential dangers
due to these unwelcome changes and its opportune for the HR function to be the centerpiece of
guiding and managing other functions and organizational wide adoption of safety measures to cope
with this pandemic in an organization. Moreover, HR will also provide additional strength, co-
coordinating from physical to psychological support.
Consequences of the Covid -19 pandemic on human life and also from a human
relations / HR perspective in organizations.
Statistics from the Dept. of Labor reveal that Sri Lanka’s unemployed population rose by approx
100,000 during the first quarter of 2020, consequent to the start of the lockdowns. It also indicates
more prospective job losses, while those who are unemployed will be desperate to find new jobs to
survive in this time of uncertainty. The impact of this monstrous pandemic on human resources in
organizations arise from a variety of sources. Some possible areas are:
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Reduction in output demand or inability to supply due to supply side resource constraints, may lead to
a host of possibilities such as
 Desire and even compulsion in some instances to scale down labor force/ staff.
 Pressure on company profitability may lead to careful scrutiny of the incidence of numerous
expenditure items that may well include employee welfare measures such as say facilities and
benefits, investment in training and even expense items such as bonuses.
 The inevitably gloomy organizational climate amidst this pandemic, can bring about salient
employee stress among some members who perceive themselves as potential targets of being
scaled down. (Those in ‘support’ functions in particular may perceive such increased potential
threat and may experience stress in the course of their employment)
Difficulties experienced by Employees
 Transport hindrances/constraints
 Disturbances to ‘group’ relations
 Stresses resulting from complying with ‘new normal’ protocols
 Stresses arising from uncertainties of employment
 Threat of contacting the decease and related psychological issues such as fear
 Need to develop new competencies in increasing usage of IT/digital platforms
Remedial measures and organizational wide strategies to overcome and effectively

manage the Covid-19 Organizational and HR impact
HR division in the organization will no doubt play a central role in effectively managing the need to
affect the changes and cope with the challenges posed by this pandemic. More importantly it’s
advisable for the HR function to consider this situation as one that demands the need to build
organization wide competencies to cope with such situations. As cautioned by the scientific experts
such pandemic prone possibilities may even occur in future as well, and therefore critical thinking,
and strategizing to design, formulate and develop companywide strategies and tactics to cope with the
‘new normal’ has become an urgent strategic imperative.
Version 02
The structured methodology outlined below is perhaps a generic, and a practical, strategic approach
that an organization could adopt to effectively and systematically cope with this challenge.
1) Establishment of a Covid 19 - Management Steering Committee (CMSC) or an equivalent.
Formulate a top level steering committee that will be responsible to formulate organizational wide
philosophy, policies, strategies and managerial tactics to deal with this externally imposed
organizational change. HR function will be a valued member of this committee and preferably the
convener and play a centralized role, subject to individual organizational directions by the top
management.
2) The Committee composition and the formulation and an implementation structure
(As a theoretical prelude, pl note: It is relevant to revisit the basic, generic organizational structure, as
per the Figure in the Appendix at the end, that we typically find in most organizations in both private
and public sector organizations. This is because the decisions of the CMSC will eventually be
formulated and implemented through the structural and managerial framework of the specific
organization.
The Figure in the Appendix is a diagrammatic presentation of the basic managerial and operating
model of a typical business organization. Please also refer Appendix below for a fuller explanation of
the generic responsibilities of the respective levels in a typical organization).
Being equivalent to a typical top level management decision, the CMSC is a special status committee
with a temporary top management status, and any applicable covid-19 related decisions will be
formulated and implemented by the respective organizational levels. Hence the committee should
ideally consist of:
 Top level representation by at least two Directors/CXO s ideally constituted from Operations and
Support Division such as HR.
 All CXOs/or Heads of Divisions
 A senior representative from the Operational level
Version 02
3) A possible scope of responsibilities of the CMSC
 Impact Assessment /Appraisal
An Assessment of the potential impact of Covid-19 on all main stakeholders of a company both
internal and external in a company, such as Employees, Customers and Suppliers being the major
groups. The respective functional heads such as Marketing (Customers), Operations (Suppliers) and
HR (Employees) will take a lead role in this endeavor. This assessment will have to summarize both
quantitatively (where applicable) and qualitatively. For example, a certain major supplier of a critical
raw material used in manufacturing may have got badly affected.
Hence it is necessary to assess, as closely as possible, the Covid -19 impact on a company’s major
groups of stakeholder groups, analyzing the numbers to the maximum possible micro level of
statistical details available. This assessment will convey the macro environmental impact of this
pandemic on a company’s major stakeholder groups. This is purely to get a basic understanding on
the scales of impact that arises in the macro environment. This phase of the steering committee’s
activities will be critically reviewed by the committee and agree on future few possible scenarios
amidst resultant volatilities and even due to cross elasticity. For example, due to adverse impact on
tourism and foreign employment income and related drop in foreign exchange earnings, restriction in
import of luxury items is a possible consequence like that is experienced in the area of automobile
and tile imports. On the other hand, the same factors could pose as ‘opportunities’ in the scope of
activity in certain businesses such as say ‘gold loan’ business in case of a financial institution and the
‘pawning’ line of lending can become a hugely attractive business overnight with increasing gold
prices. Therefore, it is necessary for a business to identify both strategic opportunities and threats
consequent to this epidemic and as far as possible to quantify their impact of the relevant variables
both in the short, medium and long term.
This relevant information will then be translated in to the potential short, medium and long term
impact on the company. In particular, any commercial organizations survival is dependent upon its
ability to capture its market share in the competitive world of business and the achievement of its
marketing budget that will determine not only its prosperity but even survival. Above all other
functional activities too are driven by a company’s marketing performance.
Therefore, it has become imperative that a company construct and critically review and agree on the
most likely scenario of the extent to which the business will be impacted in the short, medium and in
Version 02
the long run along critical parameters such as sales, costs, availability of input materials or
merchandise etc.
 Strategizing to cope with Covid- 19 impact
The next step in this process is to agree on broad strategic changes based on not only the threats
which often becomes the focal point in most Covid-19 related discussions, but also the possible
‘opportunities’ from a business perspective. For example, there could be opportunities for
introduction of new products and even new distribution channel opportunities such as on-line delivery
for a food business or even say for a local garment manufacturer.
 Post Covid -19 Budget /Short term plan followed by a Medium/ Long term strategic plan.
This is yet another important phase that attempts to capture and formulate a defined scope of action,
the planned outcomes and responsibilities of different functions towards accomplishments and will
incorporate short and long term responses to the Covid impact on organizations that have confronted
material impact on their respective businesses.
 Post Covid 19 management philosophy and maintenance of socially responsible value systems
Last but not least, how a company can maintain the delicate balance between obvious rationality
driven measures such as say, for example, cost reduction amidst adversity, and retention of staff
morale and motivation on the other. It is said that the ultimate test of effective strategic leadership is
avoidance of panic and display the ability to stay collected and show grace in face adversity with
confidence and commitment. Further an equitable treatment of all employee groups is really the acme
of post Covid socially responsible leadership behavior.
 HR Policies consequent to Covid -19 in affected organizations
No doubt almost all organizations are affected in one form or the other, if not a combination of many.
Hence it is advisable that an organization discuss and agree on broad guidelines of HR policies
consequent to Covid 19, at a strategic forum such a CMSC.
Version 02
Challenges of HR related Covid -19 impact on organizations and the role of the HR
function
Abstract:
As far as possible HR will be a key influencer and a member of the recommended CMSC f or
medium/ large organizations that will formulate short, medium/long term strategic direction. This
phase will spell out required organizational changes to effectively cope with this Covid-19
consequence to businesses.
Human resources perhaps are the most sensitive organizational
resource that needs to be managed with great care under pandemic conditions. Since no one policy
guideline may be uniformly applicable to all sectors and divisions in a large organization, preferably
all decisions be taken harmoniously with the participation of respective divisional heads while
adhering, as far as possible, to uniformly agreed flexibility parameters agreed at the CMSC. Given the
chaotic conditions in some organizations due to the effect of the pandemic, HR function has to be an
active partner that will safeguard the morale of employees at all levels and be the custodian of
uniformity, safeguarding employee interests and mediating with the top management for the best
interest of the organizations long term prosperity.
The most affected resource in an organization as a result of Covid-19 undoubtedly is the precious area
of human resources. The impacts range from and encompass physical, tangible, psychological and
even human relations. Hence the role of HR function in an organization is not only critical but also
very subtle and salient. They could easily be between major stakeholder groups and their respective
and often conflicting expectations and interests. For example, they will have to delicately balance
between the need for cost reduction in adversely affected organizations and the need to satisfy,
motivate and continue to progress on development of vital human resources to be more resilient and
cohesive in adversity. This is why a focused attention is required to assess as closely as possible the
actual and potential impact due to the pandemic supported by reasonable projections as far as possible
backed and supported by numbers.
Version 02
All HR related broad decision areas for the company be preferably be taken at the CMSC in
conjunction with the respective functional heads as the different divisional requirements may vary
upon the particular business model as well as dependent upon different regions.
Discussed below are certain specific HR areas that are important amidst a pandemic such as
Covid – 19
 Ensure the company fully adheres to minimum Health Dept and other statutory requirements as
compulsory practices and necessary communications be done in this regard on a variety of fronts
from social distancing to use of PPEs and organizational safety propocalls.
 Agree on organization wide HR policies with the CMSC in different areas on a fair and equitable
basis placing the company’s business model requirements at the centre. These may include:
 Roster arrangements dependent upon and dictated by the needs of the,

 Business such as customer service, production timelines etc.
 Attendance and leave policies such as above
 Employee logistical support such as transport, seating etc.
 PPE policy
 Staff welfare activities during the pandemic period such as say for example granting of staff loans
where companies facing liquidity issues and even areas that cover staff tea service.
 How to maintain staff morale and motivation during this difficult phase and requirements thereon
including required staff communications.
 The basis and tactics of managing psychological issues such as stress factors during the pandemic
as well as especial grievance Covid related grievance handling practices
Version 02
 Be conscious of any bottlenecks facing the Operations, and other functions in the area of HR
during the pandemic
 Digital competencies – Assess the knowledge and skills gap of staff in adopting to the new
normal conditions of business continuity and co-ordinate any training requirements such as IT
capabilities from hardware and other areas such as network connectivity.
 Changes to performance management yardsticks- Introduce fair and equitable flexibility in

changing and adjusting performance management practice
Appendix
SHAREHOLDERS
TOP
LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
MIDDLE
CUSTOMERS
EMPLOYEES
SUPPLIERS
OPERATIONAL
MANUFACTURIN
G / OPERATIONS
MARKETIN (SERVICES) H FINANCE
Figure 2. The management structure of a typical busine
Most modern organizations, may they be engaged in manufacturing or providing services will have
typical functional specializations such as ‘Manufacturing/Operations’ ‘Marketing’ ‘Finance’, and
‘Human Resources’ as much as hierarchical levels that we usually segregate as ‘Top’, ’Middle’ and
‘Operational’. Further, some organizations may have additional or even alternative spread of
departmentalization contingent upon the complexity or that is dictated by the nature of the value
creation by an organization.
Version 02
As we have already learnt the process of ‘managing’ include the well-known classification of
‘Planning’, ‘Controlling’,’ Organizing’ and ‘Leading’ that is applicable at all the three levels though
the complexion and emphasis of these areas may differ depending on the level at which a manager
may operate.
The top level principally consists of the Directors appointed by the ‘shareholders’ who in fact are the
effective owners and will eventually expect a ‘return’ that sufficiently commensurate the ‘risks’
facing the company. The Directors and the ‘CXO’ (e.g. Chief Financial Officer –CFO) level
managers usually comprising the ‘top’ management level of a company therefore, are responsible to
set goals and objectives once achieved will fulfill the expectations of the shareholders. However, the
contemporary thinking is that the top management have a much broader area of responsibility that
extend beyond shareholders to a host of other interested groups collectively referred to as
‘stakeholders’. The Figure depicts four of such stakeholder groups in addition to the ‘shareholders’,
and a typical business may have other types stakeholders. For example, in an ‘airline’ business the
‘travel agents’ are an important stakeholder category apart from their ‘customers’ (who actually are
the passengers), and hence may have to consider the interests of this group too when making
important strategic decisions.
Further, they also have the important responsibility of formulating strategies to achieve these goals
and objectives that is considered to be one of the most complex and challenging tasks of the top
management of commercial organizations operating in volatile and intensely competitive
environments. For this purpose, the top management will also have to ensure that the organization is
properly equipped with the required resource structures to carry out and implement the intended
strategies. Implementation perhaps is even more demanding than strategy formulation and could be a
real nightmare under volatile conditions that businesses frequently encounter. Furthermore, they also
need to put in place and monitor required strategic controls that will ensure appropriate and corrective
actions on a timely basis as much as possible anticipating changing future environment and business
landscape.
The ‘middle’ management consists of functional specialists and organizing with such separation will
enable an organization to acquire and practice advantages of specialization of different professional
disciplines such as Engineering/Operations, Marketing, Human Resources and Finance as the four
major functional areas in a typical Manufacturing or Service providing business. These heads of the
Version 02
middle management category will formulate functional objectives and strategies that carefully
coordinated will help achieve the overall objectives and assist in implementing the strategies
formulated at the top level.
The ‘operational’ level basically represent the managers that lead and assist the higher levels to
implement their plans by actually deploying managing and controlling the organizations valuable and
scarce resources.

CQ - EXPT U9 - Managing A Global Pandemic - English - V2

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Level : Chartered Qualification in HRM

Unit Code : CQ-EXPT U9

Session : Managing a Global Pandemic

Name & Index No: …………………………………………

Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (Inc)

Purpose and aim of the unit

Guided Learning Hours

01. Introduction to Global Pandemics and managing a Pandemic.....................................................4

01. Introduction to Global Pandemics and managing a Pandemic

ZIKA Virus epidemic: 2015-Present day

West African Ebola epidemic: 2014-2016

H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic: 2009-2010

AIDS pandemic and epidemic: 1981-present day

Asian Flu: 1957-1958

Spanish Flu 1918 - 1920

Courses of Pandemics and power of nature

4) Increased Human – Animal Contact

5) Health Worker Shortages

From Animals to Humans: Zoonoses and Their Impact

Wildlife Trafficking, Bushmeat and Pandemics

Pandemics and the power of nature

Why deforestation and extinctions make pandemics more likely

- Wolicki and others 2016

 Pandemics have occurred throughout history and appear to be increasing in frequency,

Process of managing Pandemics

Preparing for a Biological Threat

Planning for Health- Related Emergencies

Labor Relations Considerations

Implementing Preventive Measures

Incentives may include:

 Paid time off to get the shot.

Actions before, during and after pandemic

HR Challenges in managing a pandemic

Keeping Employees Healthy

 Sending symptomatic employees home.

Employee Relations Considerations

Complying with Different Laws in Different Countries

Crisis Management and Contingency Planning

Tracking a Potential Pandemic

Figure 1. Tracking a Potential Pandemic

Business Continuity Planning

- The Dalai Lama

LEADERSHIP DURING COVID - 19 PANDEMIC - A CRITICAL TEST OF

Difficulties experienced by Employees

Remedial measures and organizational wide strategies to overcome and effectively

1) Establishment of a Covid 19 - Management Steering Committee (CMSC) or an equivalent.

2) The Committee composition and the formulation and an implementation structure

 Impact Assessment /Appraisal

 Strategizing to cope with Covid- 19 impact

 HR Policies consequent to Covid -19 in affected organizations

Human resources perhaps are the most sensitive organizational

 Roster arrangements dependent upon and dictated by the needs of the,

 Attendance and leave policies such as above

 Employee logistical support such as transport, seating etc.

 Changes to performance management yardsticks- Introduce fair and equitable flexibility in

Figure 2. The management structure of a typical busine

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