News Release Louisiana Small Business Development Center
Keeping Your Business Healthy During the Swine Flu Pandemic   The Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration strongly urge small businesses to prepare for the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic.  The World Health Organization, which declared the Swine Flu a pandemic, increased the alert level to Phase 6 in response to the rapid spread of the illness around the globe.  Some analysts predict the Swine Flu will cause 75 to 100 million Americans to be sick this fall.  Unlike the seasonal flu, H1N1 will heavily affect the young and healthy, increasing absenteeism in the workplace.    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with input from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U. S. Small Business Administration released new recommendations for business and employers on how to deal with a possible Swine Flu outbreak in their workplace. Visit http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/smallbiz.html#02 for a complete preparedness guide for small businesses. The guide provides information on how you can update your business continuity plan or write one that includes a response to the H1N1 pandemic.   7 Tips on Protecting Your Business During a Swine Flu Outbreak 1.      Prepare a business continuity plan to cope with increased absenteeism. 2.      Identify essential employees, processes, business functions and suppliers.  Explore ways to continue operations if there is a business interruption. 3.      Share your pandemic plans with employees and clearly communicate expectations. 4.      Identify a workplace coordinator to deal with H1N1 related issues, including contacting health officials and developing protocols. 5.      Establish an emergency communications plan. 6.      Examine policies for leave, telework, and employee compensation and review with all employees. 7.      Determine who will be responsible for assisting ill individuals in the workplace, and make sure at least one person can serve as the “go to” person if a worker becomes sick at the workplace.   Keeping Healthy: 10 Tips for Businesses 1.      Develop policies that encourage sick employees to stay home. 2.      Develop other flexible policies to allow workers to telework and stay home to care for sick family members. 3.      Provide resources and a work environment that encourage personal hygiene. 4.      Provide education and training materials on preventing a flu outbreak. 5.      Instruct employees who are well but have a sick family member with the flu that they can continue to work but should monitor their health daily. 6.      Encourage workers to obtain a seasonal influenza vaccine, if appropriate for them according to CDC recommendations. 7.      Encourage workers to get a 2009 H1H1 vaccine if they are in a priority group, according to CDC recommendations. 8.      Provide employees with up-to-date information on influenza risk factors. 9.      Plan to implement practices to minimize face-to-face contact between workers if advised by the local health department. 10.   If an employee becomes sick on the job, isolate the worker until he/she can go home.