What Employers Are Doing To Counter Ebola

FORBES MAGAZINE                              NOV. 11, 2014
By Tevi Troy, President, American Health Policy Institute

Ebola has killed over 5,000 people, roiled U.S. hospitals, and shaken the faith of Americans in the government’s ability to respond. At the same time, and below the radar, U.S. companies are responding to Ebola with a variety of steps to protect themselves, their employees, and their operations.

The most important element of communicating the threat of the Ebola outbreak for both the government and corporate leaders is to provide factual information while also preventing panic and fear. There have been 5,000 false alarm cases of Ebola as people flock to U.S. emergency rooms out of fear that their common cold or seasonal flu symptoms are early manifestations of the Ebola virus. This hysteria not only has potential mental and physical health implications, but also economic implications. Fear may incentivize some people to change their behavior, whether through cancelling flights and vacation plans or visiting the doctor and stocking up on medications. Furthermore, treating suspected Ebola patients, even if they don’t pan out, is expensive and labor intensive for hospitals.

For employees in regions with high risk of Ebola, companies are pushing the message directly. For example, Shell Oil Company has posted information on their global Shell Health and Shell Travel websites for employees in areas, or travelling to areas, that have been put on high risk. ... IBM IBM -0.12% medical personnel are blogging to their fellow employees on how to protect oneself from the disease and how to seek medical care should employees begin to exhibit symptoms.

For employees in West Africa, companies are using different types of communication to reach this higher risk population. For example, they are supporting radio shows, print news, billboards, and even songs with Ebola information....

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/11/11/what-employers-are-doing-to-counter-ebola/