Tips for Businesses to Prepare for H1N1

Just caught a Harvard study that said businesses are not prepared to handle the Swine Flu. If a majority of their employees should get sick and be out for two weeks. Many businesses said they could not keep up their normal operations if this were to occur. If half their employees were out for a month, “four out of every five businesses expect severe problems.”

If you’re a business owner then, what do you do? Here are a few tips.

Do Some Cross Training Now
Get employees involved in learning other jobs should the need arise to have them help out. Have several employees cross-trained for other jobs, so if one person is out the entire burden of their workload can be split among many employees rather than just one.

Put H1N1 Planning Into Your Emergency Plan
Every businesses has an emergency plan should a disaster (tornado, earthquake, etc) hit. Include H1N1 in this list. Determine how it differs than a natural disaster and how it may affect your business. Then, plan for steps ahead of time in the event a wave of the virus struck your office.

Institute Telecommuting Options
Officials recommend staying home at the first sign of the virus. So if you don’t have a telecommuting option in your office, now is the perfect time to develop one. Staying home when employees feel the disease coming on may lessen its effect and spread to the rest of your employees.

Discuss Off-Time Options With Employees
Employees should know that you will work with them if the Swine Flu hits. The last thing you want is an employee who felt that they needed to come in because they didn’t have an option for sick time. Sick employees in your office space could mean that other people become needlessly infected. The more people infected, the more your business could suffer.

Offer Plenty of Hand Washing Items and Masks
Stock up on antibacterial soaps, electric hand dryers, and masks for your office. Encourage your employees to wash their hands several times a day.

Image: sxc.hu.