LONDON-Businesses in London are prepared to shut down within 48 hours in the event of a terrorist threat or outbreak of illness like SARS, however, few companies have planned for business continuity in the event of a serious incident, according to research from Fujitsu Consulting.
Although 77 percent of employees polled said they would avoid the office in the event of a terrorist incident or threat and 63 percent said they would avoid the office in the event of an outbreak like SARS, just 24 percent of employers polled said their workers would be technologically capable of working from remote locations if unable to come to work.
“If a terrorist act, or a genuine threat of one, occurred . most employees would understandably want to stay away from their office if it was in the affected area and the law allows workers to stay away from the workplace if their health is deemed to be at risk,” said Matt Roderick of Fujitsu Consulting. “The problem is that few businesses have prepared for this and most workers would end up sitting at home unable to carry on working. The effect to the U.K. economy would be devastating.”
Fujitsu advises companies to have plans in place to address possible incidents and suggests those plans include: knowing which key workers would be needed and whether they have the right equipment and training to work remotely; having a phone redirection service in place; and a determining a crisis management plan to dictate responsibilities during an emergency.
