10 tips for swine flu planning

10. Take care of your people. The proper response to a pandemic or other disaster is for executives to make sure their employees are safe and then worry about resuming business. "Companies need to think about their people first. They tend to look at plant and equipment and not look at their labor force," Potterton says. He adds that companies need to understand that employees will take care of themselves first, then their families, and then worry about their jobs and clients.

Overall, the swine flu outbreak can be an opportunity for IT departments to refresh their business-continuity plans and to win back some loyalty from employees demoralized by layoffs and pay freezes by being sensitive to their needs. "Businesses should do what they can to be model citizens," De Lotto says.