Historical Overview

David GaitherChief of Staff, Office of the Governor

Impact and Opportunity for Business

Cyndi LesherPresident and CEO

NSP – MN, ND, SD (an Xcel Energy Company)

Nonprofits, Schools and Social Services

Lauren SegalPresident and CEO

Greater Twin Cities United Way

Minnesota’s Plan

Commissioner Michael CampionMN Department of Public Safety

Commissioner Dianne MandernachMN Department of Health

Legal Issues and Catastrophic Events

Greg StenmoeAttorney

Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association

Overview of Legal Issues

• Business Planning

• Governmental Authority

• Human Resources Management

Human Resources Management

• Leave Policies

• Wage and Hour

• Disability Discrimination

• Privacy

• Defamation

• OSHA

• Whistleblowing

• WARN Act

• Employee Impact

Business Planning

• Sarbanes-Oxley• Variable Industry Impact• “Work-at-Home” Infrastructure

• Insurance

• Supplier/Vendor Contracts

Governmental Authority

• Minnesota Emergency Health Powers Act

• Communicable Disease Act

• Law Enforcement

• Court System

• Federal v. State v. Local Authority

• Temporary Legislation/Special Laws

Coordination/Communication

• Essential Goods and Services

• Allocation of Resources

• Government, Business, Community Partnerships

• Communication and Cooperation

Summary

• Review Contracts and Insurance Coverages

• Consider Contingency Legislation

• Communication, Coordination and Cooperation

• Modify H.R. Policies

Update on Business Planning

Marie JohnsonPresident

Business Continuity Planners Association

• Summits, Conference, and Meetings• Minnesota Inter-Company Pandemic

Planning– July 27, 2006– Subgroups

• Medical Recommendations• H.R. Policies• Communications• Business Continuity

– Additional Subgroups• Government Affairs• Technology

Business Continuity Planning

• Processes– Team of Experts

• Executives or Business Unit Leaders, with• Subject Matter Experts, making up• 17-30 Member Teams

– Responsibility Given to Current Teams• Use Business Continuity Program Teams

– Use of Standardized Task Lists, Assumptions and Templates

Business Continuity Planning

• Response Triggers/Stages– Four or Five Triggers to Action

• Aligned to the World Health Organization (WHO) Levels

• Typically Color Coded i.e. - Green, Yellow, Orange, Red

• One company is currently planning to track absences as a trigger

Business Continuity Minimizing Risk

• Staying Healthy – Flu Shots

• Offer Annual Flu Shots at Workplace• Use Same Process for H5N1 Vaccine• Office Sanitation• Coordinate with Housekeeping Plans• Air Ventilation Options

– Social Distancing at Work• Three Foot Rule – Minimize Contact

Business Continuity Minimizing Risk

• Staying Healthy – Hand Sanitizers

• All are discussing, and some plan to provide, hand sanitizers to employees

• Encouraging the simple “Washing with Soap”

Business Continuity Minimizing Risk

• Performing Job– Communication & Education

• Use of Web sites– Employees and Customers

– Travel• Monitoring Risk to Travelers

– One Provides Tamiflu• Limit Travel as Risk Increases

– Telecommuting• All are Expanding Capabilities• Internet Dependency• Multiple Access and Possible Shift Schedules• Recognize Limitations and Internet Overloading

– Limit/Control access for Critical Users, pre-defined by business units

Business Continuity Minimizing Risk

– Performing Job • Supply Chain

– Use of Multiple Vendors– Asking Vendors for Pandemic Plans– Concerns on Transportation and Port Entry/Exit

• Facility Entry– Information Signage at Entrances– Encourage Sick Employees to Stay Home

» Self-Assessment Form for Health Status

• Facility Closing– Defining Minimum Number and Type of Needed

Employees to Operate Facilities

Major Economic Implications

• Just-in-time global economy puts essential resources at risk

• 24/7 media coverage will fuel public panic

• Consumers will resist leaving home

• Demand for restaurants, concerts, sports events, entertainment, hotels, travel, and conventions will come to a grinding halt

Major Economic Implications

– Emergency health care facilities will proliferate at the local level

– Demand for masks, gloves, bulk food items, antibacterial products (even though may not be effective) will increase

– Schools may shut down

Potential Employee Impact

• Some employees will refuse to come to work• Some employees will want to come to work and

stay at work (earn money, protect their family from exposure)

• Some employees will want to work even though they exhibit symptoms of the flu because of economic necessity

• Some employees will exploit the situation and use the flu as a reason to avoid coming to work

Potential Employee Impact

• Some employees will refuse to seek health care out of fear of getting the flu at the doctor’s office

• Some employees will refuse to travel to certain geographies hard hit by the virus

• 40-50% of workforce out due to personal illness or illness of family members

Other Implications

• Increases– Online Ordering– Virtual Meetings– Information Center Calls

Family Preparedness, Employee Communications

Kris EideDirector

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Aggie LeitheiserDirector

Emergency Preparedness

Panel Discussion

Building Partnerships Toward Good Communication During Catastrophic

Events

Panel Participants

Moderator: Sean Kershaw, Executive Director, Citizens League

Kris Eide, Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Rob Fulton, Director, Saint Paul - Ramsey County Department of Public

Health

Caty Jirik, Director, United Way 2-1-1

Marie Johnson, President, BCPA

Aggie Leitheiser, Director, Emergency Preparedness

Greg Stenmoe, Attorney, Briggs and Morgan

Christopher Terzich, Incident Management V.P., Wells Fargo &

Company

Tim Turnbull, Director, Hennepin County Emergency Preparedness