COVID-19 Response Plan for Businesses and Organizations

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By Betsy Ross & Jackie Reau, Game Day

As the COVID-19 situation evolves in the United States, it’s important for business leaders to create a plan and continuously monitor the situation (literally, minute by minute). The CDC is the ultimate national authority on managing COVID-19.

 Overall we recommend the following protocol for businesses: Be aware of the evolving situation with COVID-19, review/update your current policies for employees, stakeholders and customers, and creatively plan new opportunities to minimize business loss.

Below is a working template for a response plan to effectively communicate to stakeholders during this time of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.

News Gathering:

  • Monitor the daily news coverage disseminating from the Governor of your state and Mayor of your city as he/she has the power to create mandates and disseminate funding for support and health care access

  • Connect with your industry association to determine industry best practices for your organization and business, i.e. Ohio Restaurant Association

  • Create Google alerts on specialty topics, i.e. “COVID-19 and Restaurants” so you receive up-to-date alerts on the situation as it is quickly evolving

Review Sickness Policy with Your Colleagues:

  • If you feel ill or have a cough, stay home and do not come to the office or a public event

  • Issue guidelines for telecommuting where possible for employees

  • Update and determine your catastrophic health care insurance and quarantine protocol for those employees who contract COVID-19

Review Cleaning and Training Protocols:

  • Review your current protocol for regular cleaning per the CDC guidelines and how to enhance it through increased hand sanitizing stations, hand washing stations

  • Train and review with all staff, have staff sign a form acknowledging their understanding of the new protocols

Communicate with Transparency to Your Stakeholders:

  • As you develop your plans, think about how to communicate to your stakeholders based on their concerns, commerce (travel, event tickets, reservations) in a transparent manner via website, social media and general media relations

  • Provide a virtual gathering solutions via video/podcasts for your business events and educational programs to continue stakeholder engagement

Future Business Planning:

  • Review your business plans, events, and travel over the next 30 days to determine how to reschedule at a later date

  • Hold virtual gathering solutions on the same date/time via video platform solutions

  • We encourage moving events and business endeavors to new dates in mid-summer or fall to take a long-range view of how to maintain future business

Game Day, a media and marketing agency, specializes in strategic communications and marketing, crisis communications and reputation management for companies, organizations and events.