The Telework Coalition: Spearheading Contingency Planning and Social Distancing During the H1N1 Flu Outbreak

Nonprofit stresses its adage: "A Business Continuity Plan without Telework Is not a Business Continuity Plan"

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) May 1, 2009 -- The Telework Coalition (TelCoa), the only nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to supporting and advancing all forms of telework and telecommuting, has been receiving numerous calls and emails from both businesses and individuals concerned about their well-being and continuity of their business operations after the first death on U.S. soil occurred from the H1N1 flu outbreak.

H1N1 is a subtype of the influenza A virus, the same subtype which was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 that killed about 675,000 people in the U.S. and between 50 million and 100 million worldwide.

While the classic reasons to telework such as traffic mitigation, concerns for the environment, and bottom line business benefits have existed since technology enabled telework started to be mainstream about 15 years ago, since the 911 terrorist attacks there has been a continual list of additional reasons to address the business continuity benefits of the virtual workforce: the Anthrax attacks, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, SARS, the 2005 New York City transit strike, the threat of a bird flu pandemic, the Minneapolis bridge collapse, escalating gasoline prices, and now the current H1N1 situation.

The Telework Coalition has long recommended Work@Home™ programs as the best preventative means to minimize the spread of infection and as the 'insurance policy' to reduce the consequences of a pandemic or serious outbreak's impact upon an organization. The key to success, however, is to be prepared in advance.

Companies that have solid telework programs in place are in good shape, says Chuck Wilsker, President and CEO of The Telework Coalition in Washington, D.C. Those that aren't prepared to have employees work offsite may find operations at a standstill if the H1N1 flu threat were to escalate to the point of widespread absenteeism, building closures, or quarantines. "This is a really lousy economic time for businesses to have to go 'cold turkey' and not be able to carry on," Wilsker continued.

According to Mary Naylor, TelCoa Advisory Board Member and CEO of VIPdesk, "Telework is a very effective way to ensure business continuity in the face of a pandemic or other natural disasters. When employees work from a home office, it helps reduce their contact with potential carriers, thus dramatically reducing their exposure levels. Businesses employing a distributed workforce are much more likely to continue operations until the danger subsides."

Jack Heacock, TelCoa's Senior Vice President encourages all organizations to adopt Work@Home™ strategies "to provide the maximum protection for their most valuable assets - their human capital - as a 'mainstream business practice' not just during the present emergency, but always for the betterment of the employer, the employees, the environment, and the communities in which we all live."

Wilsker concluded "This type of an 'insurance policy' is one that if properly implemented will not only afford business continuity and risk management benefits, but also will have a surprisingly positive return on the investment made and in many cases will pay for itself."

About the Telework Coalition

Based in Washington, D.C., The Telework Coalition, (TelCoa), (http://www.TelCoa.org,) is a not-for-profit organization that brings together a diverse array of organizations and individuals with the common interest of promoting awareness and adoption of existing and emerging telework and telecommuting applications.

TelCoa's mission is to "Enable and Support the Advancement of Virtual, Mobile, and Distributed Work through Research, Education, Technology, and Legislation".

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