Business Continuity Planning

Checklist of preparatory actions in responding to COVID-19

The following is a checklist of some of the key risks to the continuity of your business activities during the outbreak of COVID-19 and of preparatory actions that can be taken to respond.

Business Issues to Address
1 Identify critical activities and the employees and inputs required to maintain them
2 Consider the possible impact of employee absences
3 Consider the possible impact of disruption to the supply of inputs from suppliers in Malta and overseas suppliers
4 Examine the likely impact of COVID-19 on your market and on your customers’ requirements
5 Identify and agree strategic imperatives
6 Understand the business need for face-to-face meetings should there be community transmission of COVID-19 with a risk of person to person spread. Consider the potential for remote working.
7 Establish authorities, triggers and procedures for implementing plan.
8 Consider the issues for business related travel due to COVID-19
9 Consider the financial management implications due to COVID-19
10 Examine the extent to which others will be dependent on your business due to COVID19
11 Consider the circumstances under which you might decide to scale back or suspend operations due to COVID-19

Measures to Underpin Continuity
1 Nominate deputies
2 Cross-train, and identify alternative sources of labour
3 Communicate with staff in a manner appropriate to the current state of COVID-19 phase
4 Prepare emergency communications plan
5 Plan for increased take-up of employee welfare services
6 Prepare policies on sick leave and compassionate leave due to COVID-19
7 Prepare policies on foreign travel during COVID19 event
8 Plan for the needs of staff overseas
9 Make arrangements to assure supplies during the COVID-19 event
10 Consider the possibility of changes to your product, your service, or your interaction with customers, due to COVID-19, and plan for any changes you consider appropriate
11 Review insurance coverage

Responding to Workplace Risks due to COVID-19
1 Prepare policies on hygienic behaviour for employees and visitors to premises. Adhere to respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene policies.
2 Plan to provide for hand washing, hand hygiene, tissue disposal and other facilities
3 Plan for frequent and effective cleaning of the workplace
4 Prepare policies to advise those who are infected, or are suspected to be infected with COVID-19
5 Plan measures to reduce face-to-face contact with customers / suppliers and between employees from different sites
6 Identify work organisation measures that can be taken to reduce potential for employees who are in the workplace to infect each other
7 Prepare policies on flexible work locations (e.g. teleworking) and flexible working times (e.g. shiftworking)
8 Provide ICT infrastructure to support teleworking and remote customer interaction