Companies 'should have swine flu contingency plans for staff'

Business connectivity provider Star has said that the swine flu pandemic should have warned businesses that they must put plans in place to allow staff to work from home.

Martino Corbelli, marketing director at the company, said the swine flu outbreak meant that businesses that do not have contingency plans would suffer, and management skills would be questioned.

He said: "Businesses that do not have remote working facilities or that only provide remote access to corporate email will find it extremely difficult to remain operational in the event of a disaster."

Mr Corbelli added that UK businesses which have not implemented remote working facilities are now considering how they would remain operational in the event of the majority of workers being unable to come into work.

An organisation may be unable to meet demand, causing it to lose sales and customers, warned Mr Corbelli.

Ninety-two per cent of small to medium-sized businesses agreed that remote working would help them to cope with a crisis caused by widespread illness, such as the swine flu pandemic, or severe weather conditions, according to survey results by Star.