CHAPEL HILL, N.C., May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- According to CNN and other prominent news outlets, the likelihood of a swine flu pandemic is high as health officials continue to raise the alert level. Savvy company leaders are updating and activating their emergency action plans before the global health threat expands into a full-blown pandemic.

Many existing action plans and checklists, which were created during the SARS and Avian Flu outbreaks earlier in the decade, include guidance for areas around employee attendance, pay policies, return-to-work requirements, travel restrictions, on-site child-care policies, on-site vendor policies, internal communications and employee question handling. Sprint Nextel, Microsoft, Roche, PSE&G and General Electric, to name a few, have flu pandemic contingency plans in place.

Best Practices, LLC is offering timely, invaluable resources to update or to create your company's disaster management plan. Primary research on "Managing Workforce Issues During a Flu-Like Pandemic," conducted by Best Practices, LLC's GLOBAL BENCHMARKING COUNCIL, addresses critical organizational preparedness topics.

Nearly one-third of companies do not have a policy when an employee has come in contact with an ill person outside of their household, according to the study findings. Visit http://www3.best-in-class.com/gr191.htm to sign up for a Live Virtual Presentation of this primary research.

Other Preparedness Action Items & Information Resources:

• Participate in Primary Research: "Managing Workforce Attendance and Compensation During a Flu-Like Pandemic for U.S. Operations" at '/>"/>