METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING DYNAMICS OF WORKFORCE ABSENTEEISM USING INFORMATION ON PANDEMIC SPREAD AND MITIGATION ACTIONS

• US 20080177614A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: An, Lianjun, Lee, Young Min, Buckley, Stephen John
• Application Number:
  US11/626,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system estimating the likelihood of employees not being available for work as a result of pandemic occurrence and effectiveness of related mitigation actions. The invention allows users to assess the impact of pandemic on availability of corporate workforce and to estimate the effectiveness of various corporate mitigation actions in terms of how such actions may reduce the adverse effects of a pandemic on employee availability by incorporating information on infection rate, perception, needs for family care and infrastructure availability into a system of algebraic and differential equations.

Claims

1. A method for estimating workforce absenteeism comprising the steps of:

using a computer to access an epidemiological model of pandemic for number of infectious population;

using a computer to determine a compounded effect of one or a plurality of mitigation actions;

using a computer to estimate overall workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected employee perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees,

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability; and

using a computer to provide said estimate of overall workforce absenteeism as output to a peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said effect of one or a plurality of mitigation actions is computed by multiplying effectiveness and availability of individual mitigation actions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the impact of mitigation actions is a factor in determining one or a plurality of expected employee perception of risk and expected number of infectious employees.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a computer is used to estimate workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected employee perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees,

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the workforce absenteeism is computed in at least one of four groups of employees;

number of employees available at work,

number of employees available at home (telecommuting),

number of employees survived but not available for work, and

number of employees not survived.

6. A system for estimating workforce absenteeism wherein there is provided:

a computer connected to an epidemiological model of pandemic for an infectious population;

a computer determining a compounded effect of one or a plurality of mitigation actions;

a computer estimating overall workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected employee perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees,

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability; and

a computer providing said estimate of overall workforce absenteeism as output to a peripheral device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a computer is provided to estimate workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected employee perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees,

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the workforce absenteeism is computed in at least one of four groups of employees;

number of employees available at work,

number of employees available at home (telecommuting),

number of employees survived but not available for work, and

number of employees not survived.

9. A machine-readable medium for estimating workforce absenteeism on which is provided:

machine-readable instructions for a computer to access a database with an epidemiological model of pandemic for an infectious population;

machine-readable instructions for a computer to determine a compounded effect of one or a plurality of mitigation actions;

machine-readable instructions for a computer to estimate overall workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees,

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability; and

machine-readable instructions for a computer to provide said estimate of overall workforce absenteeism as output to a peripheral device.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said effect of one or a plurality of mitigation actions is computed by multiplying effectiveness and availability of individual mitigation actions.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the impact of mitigation actions is a factor in determining one or a plurality of expected employee perception of risk and expected number of infectious employees.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein machine-readable instructions are provided for a computer to estimate workforce absenteeism based on at least one of

expected employee perception of the risk of pandemic,

expected number of infectious employees

expected number of employees attending family needs, and

expected infrastructure availability.