As an Employer, Are You Concerned About Swine Flu Issues?
Concerned about what to tell your employees regarding the potential Swine Flu pandemic? The answers are not clear yet because the potency of the virus and the extent to which it may spread remain undetermined. The Swine Flu may be no more problematic than the standard seasonal flu, or it may be a much bigger problem. Opinions vary and most experts feel that more time must pass before clear answers emerge.
For now, the Center for Disease Control and medical experts are generally recommending extra vigilance on standard hygiene and health practices such as washing hands, not touching your nose, mouth or eyes, getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, and avoiding contact with sick individuals. However, because the advice may change based on further findings and developments, the CDC is maintaining a very good webpage that provides update on the Swine Flu and what to do about it.
As of today (May 3), we recommend that employers have their HR or Health/Safety folks get general information out concerning the Swine Flu and encourage sick employees to stay home. We also recommend that HR and Health Safety managers monitor the CDC web page daily for updates and suggestions. You can access the page by clicking here: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/