H1N1 FLU: Government, Corporate, Academic and Media

CDC Emergency Twitter Feed: http://twitter.com/CDCemergency

CDC Web site: http://www.cdc.gov

2009 H1N1 Flu: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

CDC Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic/pdf/businessChecklist.pdf

HHS has a useful widget, a tool that you can embed on your Web site, which provides links, in both English and Spanish, to updates and prevention tips.
http://www.hhs.gov/web/library/hhsfluwidgets.html

Pandemic Flu Web site
http://www.flu.gov
http://www.pandemicflu.gov

With a core population that is a vulnerable group for influenza and particularly H1N1, Bright Horizons Family Solutions undertook an extensive effort to educate their families and staff about influenza prevention and maintaining a healthy environment for all. The organization also needed to develop solutions for clients faced with the possibility of extended employee absences due to lengthy exclusion policies in schools and child care.

• The Influenza Task Force, originally created during the Avian flu outbreak, meets regularly and includes members of the Executive Team, Human Resources, Business Operations and Risk Management. This group:
  
  
  • determined Bright Horizons’ Influenza policies for home and regional offices, centers and schools—all policies are aligned with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations; and
  • created the Pandemic Flu Plan and Business Continuity Plan.


• Two members of the Bright Horizons staff are members of the CDC’s Child Care Leader’s Partners Group, comprised of child care leaders across the country. The purpose of the group is to discuss and give feedback to the CDC’s Children’s Health Team on their current child care influenza guidance and to give them information about what is actually taking place in child care centers and how to manage to this going forward.


• Company-wide communications were developed for families, employees and clients to inform them of updated policies and CDC guidelines, providing employees with resources to help themselves as well as families in their care. For example, a critical need is to support employees dealing with nervous parents, while making sure they understand their own risks.


• Bright Horizons created an Influenza Resources portal with links for both US and UK on company Intranet. Housed here are:
  
  
  • Influenza FAQ’s based on recent questions received from centers;
  • Bright Horizons’ Influenza policies;
  • letter templates for centers and schools to use when a child or staff member is out with the flu; and
  • pertinent news articles and helpful resources such as links to the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics as well as fact sheets about influenza.


• The Back-Up Care Advantage: Crisis Care Assist program http://www.brighthorizons.com/swineflu_clients was launched to assist employers during emergent crisis situations that significantly affect the availability of care. It was developed to support employers affected by natural disasters and health emergencies such as the current H1N1 national health alert. The program provides employees with a benefit that enables them to access a nationwide network of child care centers and in-home care providers; and/or secure payment for care they arrange within their family or existing social network.
  

In order to make the facts about the H1N1 flu and the vaccine itself available, Cardinal Health is posting information on their television monitors around headquarters as well as on posters and via their various communication channels (manager updates, Essential News). They are also hosting Web casts and presentations.

Cardinal Health has a pandemic team (that includes their Medical Director) which has been together for many years. The team meets on a regular basis and has detailed project plans for each phase of a potential pandemic.

The team provides many resources to support employees, their family members and communities including free onsite seasonal flu shots for employees, spouses and domestic partners and information provided internally and through their “nurse lines” and medical plans.

In making plans to cover the workplace, Cardinal Health would use their standard policies for paid time off (PTO), but would also have a location-based escalation process where decisions are made quickly if exceptions are needed.

Ceridian reports that preparations and response plans for the fall flu season are made with the aim of protecting the health and safety of their staff and providing reliable service to their customers. Because Ceridian provides Work-Life, EAP and Health services as their business, many of their internal responses are also made in support of their customers, and their own business continuity plans are an important element in Ceridian’s customers' preparedness plans.

Information and Awareness. Ceridian has developed summary information for employees and managers on health and work considerations for the fall flu season, with links to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) flu Web site (www.flu.gov) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) flu site (www.cdc.gov). They have also posted them on LifeWorks Online, Ceridian's Work-Life, EAP and Health information site for both customers and employees. They have sent periodic emails to staff with links to those articles and the key messages about vaccination and steps to take to reduce flu transmission. They have provided those same messages for customers to send to their employees, and have also supplied them with a checklist of business continuity considerations.

Staffing Preparations. Ceridian’s own business continuity plan has been updated with specific steps to take in the event of high rates of absenteeism, especially in critical roles. Backup staff—with the training and experience to serve as EAP and Work-Life consultants and other critical roles—has been identified and will be deployed if needed. Ceridian has systems in place to handle customer calls in any of four geographically-separated call centers. Plans to offer overtime to healthy staff and enable work from home are in place. Ceridian is offering worksite flu vaccinations at their primary facilities and encouraging remote staff to arrange for vaccinations for themselves and family members. They also offer reimbursement for costs of back-up care for dependent children and adults through a program they also run for customers that allows care by professionals or by friends and family members (which Ceridian knows to be of value when children are home sick).

For additional resources, please go to www.ceridian.com and search under flu.

This fall, Discovery Communications launched a "Stay Healthy" initiative for all employees. The "Stay Healthy" promotion includes the following:

• A global e-mail to all Discovery employees to "Stay Healthy" with tips of how to decrease their risk of getting sick.


• Onsite flu shots for all Discovery employees to be provided for locations with more than 100 employees. Locations with fewer than 100 employees have the option to use a flu shot voucher that can be redeemed in many locations across the country within a five-mile radius of where they live or work.


• Their "2009 Wellness Conference: Live Well" will be held in November. The conference will feature Nathan Lyon as the keynote speaker, who will provide a healthy cooking demonstration. The Employee Resource Groups will host breakout sessions on important health topics of their choice. They have invited various health professionals to be panelists of the breakout sessions. There will be 40+ vendors from the local community onsite to promote health and wellness. The vendors will also be providing interactive demos/sessions i.e., an early morning yoga class, chair massage, onsite Farmers Market, run/walk analysis, acupuncture and nutrition consultations, and meditation sessions, to name a few.


• All Discovery regional offices will also be hosting Health Fairs that coincide with the conference theme of "Live Well." The regions will have nutrition consultations, onsite Farmers Market, chair massage, and basic biometric screenings performed.


• The Wellness Center Team met with the HR Department to provide information about the wealth of resources available to Discovery employees i.e., onsite Nutritionist, Life Coach and Ergonomist. The team works together to provide a holistic approach to treating the whole person, not just a physical ailment. It is prevention and management of health at its best! Dr. Liz also was able to educate employees about seasonal flu, H1N1 flu and what they can do to stay healthy.


• Hand sanitizers have been placed all throughout the buildings for employee use as well.
  

To make the facts about the H1N1 flu and other flu vaccines available to their employees and their families, GlaxoSmithKline has a dedicated Web site called Flu Resources with many links to external expert resources for both Pandemic and Seasonal Flu.

To reinforce their medical group, Glaxo has global, regional and local pandemic response teams. Each team has designated responsibilities for education and implementing both seasonal and H1N1 programs. Should the need arise and the medical team asks for assistance, the company drops whatever they are doing to assist them with education, communications, clinics, etc.

Glaxo’s medical benefits cover the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines at 100% with no deductible and no co-pay. For employees, seasonal influenza vaccines are available at convenient locations across Glaxo’s campuses and in the field at regional meetings. In the U.S., the firm will publicize the availability and locations of H1N1 as it is available to both employees and their families.

Employees and direct family members have been screened (by onsite and family providers) and have been provided with doses of antiviral medications in case of influenza symptoms and diagnosis. Glaxo has asked all vendors to document that they have a pandemic plan, so they can support employees—especially those vendors that operate a phone support service—but the firm has also asked their child care, resource and referral, medical benefits, customer service lines, etc. to document that they too have plans to care for their employees and have a business continuity plan.

GlaxoSmithKline is a manufacturer of both the influenza antiviral and vaccines.

Harris, Rothenberg International (HRI), a provider of employee and employer assistance programs, has been promoting pandemic preparedness to its client organizations and their workforces since 2002 when it published its first pandemic preparedness guide.

In response to the initial H1N1 outbreak in the spring of 2009—and now in response to the H1N1 pandemic—the company is offering information and communications materials for both managers and employees and families i.e., Pandemic Flu Preparedness: Tips and Resources (plus an enhanced managers’ version, including business preparedness content). In addition, HRI is now offering its Guide to Preparing for Child and Older Adult Care During a Flu Pandemic.

The guides incorporate federal government preparedness tools with the firm’s own resources on such topics as:

• flu terms defined;
• bull; a list of “Go To” organizations to ensure access to reliable and current information;
• planning ahead for child care and adult care needs;
• pointers for successful telecommuting;
• tips for maintaining work/life balance and resilience during a flu emergency;
• helping employees and family members cope; and
• a hand hygiene poster.

In addition, this Harris, Rothenberg is continually monitoring information from top sources and posting relevant links on their member Web sites, including:

• a flu prevention and preparedness tip sheet;
• links to CDC and Flu.gov resources such as flu communication toolkits for businesses, schools, colleges and child care centers; and
• a list of state health department and education department Web-sites to facilitate access to local information.

Harris, Rothenberg has also done a teleconference on business preparedness, trainings at client organizations and sends out communications about their resources on a regular basis. For additional resources, please go to www.harrisrothenberg.com and click on Pandemic Flu Preparedness Guide.

Hewitt Associates has developed a national U.S. strategy for administering seasonal flu vaccines free to all employees, contractors and household family members (18 and over) at each Hewitt location beginning September 14th, 2009.

They have also connected with the local public health departments to be kept informed regarding administration of the H1N1 vaccines. Hewitt’s understanding is that the H1N1 Vaccine series will not be released for public purchase, but, if this changes, they will leverage their onsite clinics to access a supply for administration.

In order to reinforce their medical group as it plans the company’s workplace response, Hewitt has a Pandemic Plan Task Force responsible for insuring that all Task Force members are supplied with the tools and resources they need and are prepared for the planning and implementation.

Hewitt has a policy that allows impacted family members with the flu to stay home, if needed, using paid time off (PTO). At this time, Hewitt does not encourage employees to stay home if someone at home has the flu. This may change if the situation becomes more challenging.

Hewitt's overall Global Emergency Operations response includes working with the business on coverage solutions if the impact of the H1N1 pandemic becomes so great that it impacts operations in a given area. Hewitt's plan includes shifting resources to unaffected locations as well as using a rapid response team to cover key business operations.

IBM provides enhanced Web-based employee education and resource material for country and site management leaders in order to distribute information regarding the H1N1 flu and the availability of vaccines. They are committed to communicating accurate, timely and reliable information to complying with government mandates and directives, and to demonstrating responsible corporate behavior. IBM has developed internal/ external communications covering pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic situations.

Their corporate pandemic strategy is directed toward protecting the health of their employees, the safety of their workplaces, maintaining the continued operations of critical functions/services as well as supporting people/infrastructure required to ensure the continuity of critical functions and services. IBM’s plans include the identification of business critical functions, services, employees, suppliers, applications and sites required to support the IBM business enterprise and to help support their clients.

IBM’s pandemic response strategy incorporates the guidance of national and global health organizations, as well as industry best practices for business continuity. The focus and goals of IBM’s pandemic strategy are three-fold:

1. provide for the well-being of IBM’s employees in their respective work environments;
2. minimize the impact on clients; and
3. optimize the company’s assistance to society.

IBM’s pandemic preparedness management process/system is extensive and integrates the talent and resources of their Crisis Management Teams, Business Continuity and Recovery Services, Human Resources, Security, Communications, Integrated Health Services and Corporate Community Relations organizations, which can be leveraged globally.

They continually work at broadening the scope and reach of their crisis management process, to help better address emergencies on a national or global scale, by conducting regular reviews of their pandemic emergency plans. IBM has more than 500 Crisis Management Teams that are integrated parts of the worldwide IBM enterprise management structure.

Johnson & Johnson has developed information, materials and guidance for employees and their families to educate them about H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine availability. These materials are being distributed electronically, through local health and medical professionals, and are available for download on the Company’s Pandemic Preparedness Web site.

Since the initial outbreak in April 2009, the Company’s nurses, doctors and health and wellness staff have held numerous in-person and virtual information sessions and training programs on H1N1.

In the U.S., Johnson & Johnson is providing free seasonal influenza vaccines to all employees through onsite clinics and a national voucher program. In U.S. communities where Johnson & Johnson has operations, medical staff is working with local public health resources to support distribution of the H1N1 vaccine and will be providing support for public vaccination administration, onsite staff vaccinations and communications about local vaccine distribution plans. There is also a global business continuity network by which this information is disseminated.

To-date there have been three company-wide communications from senior management providing all employees with status updates on the outbreak and the company’s continued preparedness planning in response to the evolving situation.

Below is some additional information on how Johnson & Johnson is continuing to monitor and address the current situation:

1. There is a pandemic preparedness team run by Global Health leaders that meets regularly. Representatives on this team include Business Continuity Planning leads, Security, Environment, Health and Safety leaders, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and other key stakeholders. Business Continuity leaders are also leveraging resources throughout the organization and at the site level to ensure a comprehensive response. In the U.S., contractors have been identified in local communities who can support existing medical resources, if necessary. Two national vendors specializing in public vaccination programs have been identified and contracted with.
2. Ongoing communications on health and wellness and Employee Assistance Programs have covered how the company will support employees, their families and the communities in which they work. Support is available through Johnson & Johnson’s TotalHealth Line, their work-life partner and other health resources.
3. In order to ensure coverage, each facility has developed a plan to identify essential onsite personnel and to ensure that resources/plans are in place to mitigate further worksite infections (extra cleaning, hand sanitizers, door screening, etc.) If necessary, to reduce transmission, facilities would encourage working from home where possible and would reduce access to the workplace to those employees and vendors who are essential for onsite operations.
   

KPMG reports they have published numerous articles on their daily portal regarding the facts about H1N1 flu, availability of flu vaccines and guidance on maintaining good hygiene practices. They also provided access to CDC and WHO sites, so that KPMG partners and employees have direct access to the latest information.

There is a monthly meeting of the Pandemic Response Committee which is comprised of individuals representing almost all of KPMG’s functions. A majority of KPMG offices provide information and/or access to on-site flu shots either sponsored by the firm or building management and coordinate their activities with building management programs specifically addressing H1N1. Major awareness campaigns on cough etiquette and hand washing have and are taking place before and throughout the flu season.

KPMG has no medical group and depends on guidance from CDC/WHO and has contracts with International SOS that provide a daily analysis of the current state of H1N1 both domestically and internationally and provides Webinars by leading experts in the field of virology.

KPMG has a Personal Preparedness Program where they provide guidance to partners and employees on self preparedness for any type of disaster. They also provide access to training sites providing free information and training on pandemic planning for both business and families.

In addition, the firm has developed sets of HR policies and guidelines specifically focused on communicable diseases—H1N1 being one of those diseases. These policies/guidelines provide guidance to employees, HR professionals and leadership. Additional policies/guidelines have been developed for travel, large meetings and training groups. Being a public accounting firm provides some unique advantages in helping to ensure coverage in the workplace. The nature of most public accounting firms’ products is consistency and adhering to a well-defined set of tax and auditing principles. Each office has professionals that have the same training and use the same methodologies to support their clients. This enables the firm, if so required, to deploy qualified professionals to areas where high absenteeism may be impacting the ability to service clients.

In response to the H1N1 flu pandemic, LifeCare clients and their employees have access to the Flu Resource Center on the LifeCare Web site containing tip sheets, FAQs, articles and links to the CDC and other health organizations for up-to-date information.

In addition, the company has designed a flu awareness series of customizable print and PDF posters for their work/life clients, and developed a bi-weekly flu awareness email series containing up-to-date flu information complete with links to helpful resources that clients can forward directly on to employees with an e-card attached that was created for their clients to promote their Flu Preparedness Program to employees.

It is also important to note that LifeCare has in-house medical personnel who can respond to emerging events through LifeCare’s Health Matters blog, and they receive updated information from the government and other sources at least once a day.

For additional resources, please go to www.lifecare.com.

To make the facts about H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines available to employees, Marriott has worked closely with their resource and referral/EAP vendor and received updated communications from them which they post on their Web site (emergency resources) and on their intranet site (emergency resources and pandemic resources).

Marriott has also worked closely with their child care vendor to ensure that children are safe and parents are informed. Policies and practices on hand washing, sanitizing toys and equipment and cleaning are shared with parents, and sick policies have been reviewed. H1N1 updates are being posted in the child care centers along with updates to various center policies regarding sick children.

September was Marriott’s National Safety and Security Awareness Month. Here are some of the activities and communications that took place as a result:

• A lunch time seminar entitled “Pandemic H1N1 (Swine) Flu: Lessons Learned” sponsored by Marriott’s Associate Health Services for employees that had concerns about the H1N1 flu for personal or business reasons. The seminar focused on the way in which this flu season is unusual since there are two different flu viruses circulating: the annual seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. The special lecture was given by a top infectious disease specialist in the Washington metropolitan area who also serves as a corporate consultant on tropical medicine.


• Season flu shots and technology support during National Safety and Security Awareness Month. HQ News: Seasonal Flu Shots Schedule; Technology, Safety and Security Awareness Week.


• National Safety and Security Month weekly activities. HQ News: September Is Global Safety & Security Awareness Month at Marriott.

The Chairman of Marriott, Bill Marriott, has been sending blogs about how the company’s updated flu preparedness and pandemic guidelines help keep guests and associates healthy. Visit Marriott’s blog “On the Move” at: http://www.blogs.marriott.com.

Marriott's Pandemic Plans are available for employee viewing on Marriott’s Global Source (search keyword: pandemic).

Marriott also posts the links to the World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html) and the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu) for statements and updates on the 2009 Influenza Pandemic.

RSM McGladrey and McGladrey & Pullen have assembled a team that includes Human Resource Directors and members of the Employees Relation, Talent Management and Communications departments.

As a team, they provide guidance on the following:

1. The provision of the seasonal flu shot at all offices (cost not covered by company) or how to direct employees to other clinics/locations in the community where they can have the shot administered.


2. Preventative care that can be taken against the seasonal flu and H1N1 virus.


3. Courses of action that should be taken and what benefits are available if employees contract H1N1, a family member falls ill, children gets the flu or a child’s school closes.

Saks Fifth Avenue is committed to provide a safe and healthy work environment and is always concerned about their Associates well-being and preventing the spread of viruses that cause illnesses among their customers and Associates. SFA began earlier in the year to utilize broadcast communications vehicles such as email, posters, intranet and internal video to keep Associates informed of the H1N1 virus and give tips to keep themselves and family members healthy. So far, SFA has put in place the following preventative measures:

• Saks Fifth Avenue leadership was provided with specific Talking Points to keep Associate informed about the H1N1 virus as well as FAQs pertaining to H1N1 and seasonal flu virus.
• Delivered two company broadcast communications providing facts about the H1N1 virus and tips to prevent the spread of the illness.
• Placed links to the CDC’s website on each of the company’s intranet portals.
• Encouraging proper hand hygiene by displaying posters in all locations demonstrating the best ways to stop the spread of germs through covering your cough and washing your hands correctly.
• SFA also strategically placed hand sanitizer stations in highly trafficked areas in all US locations.
• Amended the current attendance policies in some locations in anticipation of the impact on business from the spread of the virus among Associates and their families.
• Associates are told to stay home if they are feeling sick or have fevers.
• Leaders have assessed the essential business functions to determine at what level those functions would be threatened if absenteeism escalates and are planning now for how the function would operate if significant absenteeism occurs. Leaders are exploring alternative arrangements such as flexible work hours, shift work, telecommuting, and social distancing strategies such as conference call versus face-to-face meetings.
• Plans have also been put in place for the possibility of school dismissals or temporary closure of child care programs.

Workplace Options, a provider of work-life and employee support services, responded immediately to the threat of an H1N1 pandemic by posting current information in the News For You section of their Web site which is made available to all of their clients and their employees. This site is regularly updated, in English and in Spanish, as new information is made available. Quick links were added to appropriate government health agencies.

They developed and designed an H1N1 Awareness Kit of downloadable tip sheets and posters and distributed it free of charge to their client companies. All of these items were made available in English and Spanish and are fully customizable with logos, helpline numbers, and benefit information so documents could be fully integrated into their clients’ own H1N1 response plans. Their kit included:

• H1N1 Fact sheets 1, 2, and 3
• H1N1 Vaccine Fact sheet
• Stopping the Spread of Germs Informational Poster
• Preventing Seasonal Flu Informational Poster

An H1N1 Outreach Campaign was conducted by their Account Management Team. All clients were contacted and made aware of materials available, and encouraged to utilize their resource and referral services for back-up care support and information on local H1N1 vaccine resources.

Internally, all the employees in their service centers in Raleigh, NC, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland, attended informational meetings which clearly outlined H1N1 preparedness, how to guard against infection, and what to do if they or their family members became ill. Hand sanitizers and bleach wipes were made available to combat infection. All of their employees and their family members received free on-site seasonal flu vaccinations and they utilized this opportunity to provide additional hand-outs on flu and H1N1 flu prevention. Employees were advised to remain home if they were ill. Those who had to care for sick family members were offered the opportunity to work remotely, with networked laptops available for this purpose.

We are grateful to Julie Weber, Policy Specialist at Boston College’s Sloan Work and Family Research Network, for compiling this listing. www.bc.edu/wfnetwork

SURVEYS CONCERNING THE FLU AND PREPAREDNESS. (RESULTS THAT MAY PERTAIN TO TELEWORK. Please see telework information in italics below).

In September 2009, WorldatWork compiled information on recent surveys on preparation among organizations in light of the 2009 flu season in “Business Continuity Planning for H1N1: A Guide for Total Rewards and HR professionals” at: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=34556. Under the section, “Current Level of Preparation among Organizations,” the report highlights:

• The Conference Board survey from May 2009, finding that 55% of respondents had a pandemic response plan and had activated it in response to the H1N1 outbreak, 60% were responding at a global enterprise level rather than locally, and 31% were responding at a national level, in affected countries where their company was currently operating.
  
  The Conference Board survey also found that 81% of respondents actively encouraged employees who did not feel well to stay home, and 93% said they would allow employees to work off-site during a pandemic health emergency.


• Mercer survey from April and May 2009: finding that 41% of over 400 mid-size and large organizations worldwide did not have an HR policy in place regarding health-related emergencies, even though many surveyed companies had acknowledged that they had employees in areas where H1N1 existed.
  
  Also, 41% of respondents said they planned to allow employees to work at home.


• ComPsych poll from April and May 2009: finding that more than half of the employers polled were asking sick employees—even those with common cold symptoms—to stay home amid worries of the H1N1 virus.
  
  In addition, the poll found that 21% of respondents said they would ask employees who have family members who have been exposed to the virus, or are suspected of being exposed, to stay home or work from home.
  
  Moreover, 12.8% of respondents said they were considering changing their sick leave or telecommuting policies.

In September 2009, the Business Roundtable (whose members are primarily large US companies), issued results of an August survey, wherein its membership was asked about their preparation for the flu, at: http://www.businessroundtable.org/sites/default/files/2009.09.29%202009%20Flu%20Season%
20Survey%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

• The Business Roundtable survey from August 2009 found that 95% of companies have business continuity and crisis plans in place that specifically address flu-related issues.

In August and September 2009, the Pandemic Prevention Council (PPC) surveyed over 1,500 organizations regarding their organizational preparedness for the flu, at: http://www.preventpandemic.org/files/h1n1-survey-results.pdf

• The Pandemic Prevention Council survey found that over 75% of respondents reported their companies have a business continuity plan, and within that group, 81.3 percent report including contingencies for H1N1, specifically. In addition, more than half of the respondents reported that their senior management told their staff to prepare for a possible swine flu epidemic. This survey found that the public sector is more prepared than the private sector; more than 70 percent of public organizations had plans to deal with the H1N1 flu threat while only 56 percent of private organizations did.

SURVEYS CONCERNING SICK EMPLOYEES GOING TO WORK

• Monster poll from May 2009: finding that nearly 75% of U.S. workers admitted to going to work sick, where 33% of these workers fear losing their job if they take a sick day, and 38% of workers state their work load is too busy to take time off from work.

GUIDANCE SUPPORTING USE OF FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS

There is substantial guidance directing employers to use and/or implement flexible work arrangements in light of the flu epidemic.

• The CDC has issued “CDC Guidance for the Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009-1010 Influenza Season,” (“Guidance”) on October 21, 2009 (at: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/guidance). This Guidance states specifically, under “Actions Employers Should Take Now,” that employers should “develop other flexible leave policies to allow workers to stay home to care for sick family members or for children if schools dismiss students or child care programs close.” In addition, in the same section, the CDC advises that employers should “allow sick workers to stay home without fear of losing their jobs.” Moreover, the CDC advises employers to share your pandemic plan with your employees and “explain what human resources policies, workplace and leave flexibilities, and pay and benefits will be available to them.”


• OSHA has issued a fact sheet, “What Employers Can Do to Protect Workers from Pandemic Influenza,” at http://www.osha.gov/Publications/employers-protect-workers-flu-factsheet.html. In this fact sheet, employers are advised to use administrative controls that “modify workers’ work schedules and tasks in ways that minimize their exposure to workplace hazards,” including, “developing policies that encourage ill workers to stay at home without fear of any reprisals,” and “developing practices to minimize face-to-face contact between workers such as extended use of email, websites and teleconferences.” The fact sheet also indicates, that “[w]here possible, encourage flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting and flexible work hours to reduce the number of workers who must be at the work site at one time or one specific location.”


• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a “Preparedness Guide for Small Business” concerning the H1N1 virus, at: www.flu.gov/professional/business/smallbiz.html. This document includes a section, “Keeping Healthy: 10 Tips for Small Business,” in which 3 of the 10 tips concern flexible work. These tips include: developing “policies that encourage ill workers to stay at home without fear of any reprisals,” developing “other flexible policies to allow workers to telework (if feasible) and create other leave policies to allow workers to stay home to care for sick family members or care for children if schools close,” and developing a “plan to implement practices to minimize face-to-face contact between workers if advised by the local health department.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/14/AR2009091403261.html

Small Businesses Urged to Prepare for Disruptions From Swine Flu
By V. Dion Haynes / The Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Department of Homeland Security urged small businesses Monday to devise contingency plans allowing them to operate in the event a number of their employees become infected with the H1N1 virus.

With half of the nation's private-sector employees working at small businesses, federal officials said they want the enterprises to take precautions to prevent a disruption to the economy as the virus, also known as swine flu, wends its way across the United States.

"We are already seeing an uptick in cases across the country," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a conference call Monday. "We expect that to continue throughout the fall and winter."

Thus far, the government has established guidelines for college campuses and schools, largely encouraging the facilities to remain open and make arrangements for sick students to continue working at home. Some small-business owners said they hadn't yet thought about a flu plan—and are not certain it would do much good even if they had one.

"Most of the press has focused on schools. I haven't thought much about it from a workforce standpoint," said Marlon B. Johnson, president and chief executive of Infused Solutions, a contracting firm based in Sterling that provides information technology services for government agencies.

The company has 40 employees and losing 10 "could have an impact" on meeting its obligations to the government, he said. Most of the employees "are not easily replaceable."

Molly Brogan, spokeswoman for the National Small Business Association, said swine flu has the potential to do serious harm to some fragile small businesses that already have been pushed to the edge by the recession.

"I think you'll see a lot of business owners stretched to the max," Brogan said. "You'll see stores shut down a day or two. In this economy, you can't afford that. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of other options."

The government is urging small businesses to prepare for a worst-case scenario, with high numbers of workers suffering from severe bouts of the virus.

Officials said workers may be out three to five days and that businesses should think about how they would handle duties of key people who were out sick.

"People can work from home. If we have court appearances, other attorneys can fill in and take over," said David Hudgins, principal and founder of Hudgins Law Firm, a 12-person operation in Alexandria, which specializes in corporate and insurance litigation cases. But "if we had a serious outbreak with five to six people out, we'd have to scramble. We think clients, courts and opposing attorneys would be understanding if we had to postpone" a trial.

While professional service businesses can maintain operations remotely, manufacturing firms need their people on-site to work.

Luc Brami, principal of Gelberg Signs in the District, said his 30 office employees could work from home, but he'd be "between a rock and a hard place" if a large number of his production staff went out sick. "I'd be devastated," he said. "You can't make things from home. We're keeping our fingers crossed and washing our hands," hoping that everyone stays well.

Don Owen, owner of P&P Contractors, a Rockville-based business that installs drywall, said he'd shift people from job sites to fill in for sick workers. But if a large number fell ill, he said, he'd likely have to hire temporary workers. "In this economy, there's an abundance of people available," he said.

The government's guidelines also urge businesses to identify an H1N1 coordinator who would oversee efforts to respond to the virus; review sick leave policies to ensure workers would not be penalized for missing work to take care of themselves or children who came down with the virus; distance workers from one another to minimize spread of germs; and share their plans with employees. The guidelines can be found at www.sba.gov/flu.

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid182_gci1367027,00.html

Tips for business continuity and contingency planning for swine flu
By Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer
September 3, 2009 | SearchCIO.com

With many students back to school this week, the federal government and health organizations are doubling down on efforts to get out the word on a second wave of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. A presidential advisory group of leading scientists has warned of possible absentee rates of 30% to 50% for an unknown duration. So what should CIOs be doing to their business continuity and contingency plans to help prepare for a swine flu outbreak?

A few basic guidelines should help you customize your business continuity plan for this kind of disaster, in which absenteeism and an uncertainty of duration are key factors. For this advice, we conferred with Alan Berman, executive director at the Disaster Recovery Institute International and former CIO for a major financial institution, and two analysts specializing in business continuity and disaster recovery: Stephanie Balaouras of Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., and Roberta Witty of Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner Inc.

First, some context: The virus is classified as a pandemic because of its global spread to 170 countries, not its severity. Less than 1% of the people who have contracted the H1N1 virus have died from it, compared with 60% of those who came down with avian flu—also known as bird flu—during the outbreak in 2003. Still, the 1 million cases of swine flu to date dwarf the 421 cases of avian flu (H151), and that number is expected to grow dramatically—especially among children between ages 12 and 17.

For CIOs and other executives, that poses a serious risk. "Senior IT officers have a fiduciary obligation to their organizations to reduce the negative risk potential in advance or quickly instate mitigating actions if and when those examples of risk materialize," said Bruce Barnes, president of Bold Vision LLC, a Dublin, Ohio consulting practice.

Here, then, is a snapshot of the risks and potential mitigations stemming from H1N1:

Risk: Absenteeism.

Absenteeism is the issue to focus on for swine flu. IT is an important business unit, and as such should be planning for workarounds in case of a 40% IT workforce absenteeism. That means CIOs need to focus on both organizing their own staff and enabling remote access for the greatest number of employees, who will need to stay home if their children get sick or there is an outbreak at the office.

Mitigation No. 1: Identify and cross-train your key IT players. CIOs need to designate which personnel are critical to IT operations, so these staff members are on the list to receive preventive and reactive medicines in case of an outbreak.

With H151, if you don't give Tamiflu to the families as well, employees are not coming to work.

Then be prepared with some switch hitters. The loss of senior staff whose knowledge cannot be readily replicated can hit organizations especially hard.

Mitigation No. 2: Test your virtual private network (VPN), and make sure all employees know how to use it. Absenteeism doesn't necessarily translate to nonworking personnel. But employees need to be able to access corporate systems remotely, and IT needs to be prepared to handle an increased volume of users. Testing a VPN isn't easy, but it's critical.

Organizations need to run enough actual tests or simulations of having, say, 1,000 people try to use a virtual private network during H5N1 to assess its readiness and prevent organizations running out of TCP/IP addresses.

CIOs should work with their telecom providers to make sure their organizations have enough bandwidth in place and stipulate that service levels be maintained during a potential H1N1 outbreak. Many employees simply did not know how to use the VPN. Instructions can be outdated and new sets of passwords might be in place.

Risk: Employees will be uncertain what the rules and plans are in case of an H1N1 outbreak.

Mitigation: Communicate the business continuity plan, the policy regarding what to do if you or a household member gets sick and specifics about where to find updated information. Most companies will want to encourage people who are sick or have been exposed to the H1N1 virus to stay home.

Disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans for swine flu should focus on preventative measures and communication.

Automated notification systems—hosted, easily scaled and available from any number of vendors, including Dell MessageOne and Everbridge—can be useful for broadcasting company messages.

Risk: Your vendors will be affected at levels that have an impact on your service.

Mitigation: Set up your communication strategy with vendors now to keep apprised of the impact of the pandemic on the vendor.

Find out now how your organization's service levels would be affected by absenteeism at your vendors.

A global provider with a follow-the-sun policy poses less risk, although quarantining and other measures may be stricter in other parts of the globe. For example, some airports in Asia already use heat scanners to screen passengers at airports for fever and bar entrance to buildings for those who aren't tested or don't pass.

No cause for alarm here.

Kathy Lang, CIO at Marquette University, said much of the work to prepare the university community of students, faculty and even parents for a swine flu outbreak is being handled by Student Health Service. Unless the virus mutates, the university health services will be treating H1N1 like any other influenza, she said.

"This means asking people to stay home if you are sick and using basic precautions," she said. Only those people with high-risk conditions such as asthma will be treated with Tamiflu if they get the virus.

As for remote access capability, Land said most applications are already accessible from off campus. And she is prepared should her own staff get hit hard by the bug. "One of our practices is to try and cross-train all the time, so that isn't different either," she said. -- L.T.

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid182_gci1367396,00.html

Tips from the CDC's CIO on H1N1 flu preparedness
By Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer
September 8, 2009 | SearchCIO.com

As fears of a second outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus reach a fever pitch, we went to ground zero—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—and checked in with CIO James Seligman. Here, he offers his tips for swine flu preparedness:

There is a wealth of information out there for the general public and businesses on steps to H1N1 flu preparedness. What issues should CIOs pay particular attention to in preparing their organizations for an H1N1 outbreak?

Seligman: I have five major points in rank order. The first question is, do you have a pandemic influenza plan and is your corporate board involved in that? That is step No.1.

Specific to CIOs and IT would be establishing sufficient remote access capacity and capability for continuity of operations. In our case, we have the ability to support 40% of our workforce simultaneously from their residences. And that is simultaneous work, so people can do other kinds of work that doesn't require them to be logged on constantly during the day.

Second, cross-training or having sufficient staff depth, particularly in mission-critical operations, which doesn't mean necessarily the top of the echelon. It doesn't matter what their pay scale is; they are mission-critical to keeping the operation running. So ensuring that you have two-deep, three-deep, cross-training or fallback people lined up to carry out those functions is important.

Topic No. 3 is [prerequisitioning] all kinds of supplies. If your supply chain for toner cartridges or paper or thumb drives or tape cassettes runs dry and these supplies are critical, you need them stocked, as well as other supplies, respirator masks, antiviral medications, or hand sanitizers or food, if you have the ability to support working 24/7.

Doing some supplier readiness checking is Topic No. 4, particularly if you are highly dependent on outsourcers, whether it is data outsourcers or application outsourcers, CIOs should be checking as to how prepared they are for significant impact on work and outage from flu.

Lastly is human resource policies related to social distancing. Does the company permit and enable having people work from home and still be paid, or take liberal leave without being penalized to help prevent the spread of influenza?

RESOURCE - CDC: 2009 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)

September 18, 2009
U.S. Chamber Releases H1N1 Flu Guide to Keep Businesses in Business
‘Absenteeism would be the central issue for businesses to wrestle with during a pandemic,’ Beauchesne says

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s National Security and Emergency Preparedness Department today released It’s Not Flu as Usual: An H1N1 Business Preparedness Guide to provide businesses with suggestions on how to keep employees healthy and maintain business operations during the upcoming flu season.

“This year’s H1N1 influenza outbreak has demonstrated how rapidly a new strain of flu can emerge and spread around the world,” said Ann Beauchesne, the Chamber’s vice president of National Security and Emergency Preparedness. “While the initial wave of the H1N1 flu was moderate, the nation cannot let down its guard. Federal officials warn that a second wave this coming fall and winter could be more widespread and severe.”

In communities where H1N1 flu circulated this past spring, the infection rate was roughly 6 to 8% over a three- to four-week period. During the winter, infection rates could be two to three times higher, as both the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu circulate and sicken people simultaneously.

“Absenteeism would be the central issue for businesses to wrestle with during a pandemic,” Beauchesne said. “Business leaders and managers should focus on reducing the transmission of the H1N1 flu in the workplace—including encouraging sick employees to stay home—and maintaining business continuity.”

In addition to a 10-point preparedness checklist, the guide includes a list of Internet sites, such as www.flu.gov that provide businesses with a wealth of detailed information on topics like federal guidance for workplace planning, vaccines, antiviral drugs, face masks, and respirators.

The Chamber has been collaborating closely with the administration and federal agencies to help businesses stay informed, be prepared, and create an environment for a resilient economy.

It’s Not Flu as Usual is available at: www.uschamber.com/pandemic

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

Contact: J.P. Fielder (202) 463-5682 / 888-249-NEWS

Microsoft Launches Online H1N1 Flu Response Center to Support Consumers, Provide Resources to Aid Assessment
Released October 12, 2009

With the current H1N1 flu (swine flu) pandemic under way, many public health officials are concerned that critical healthcare resources could be stretched thin as people flood hospital emergency departments and physicians’ offices to determine whether they have the illness.

In response, Microsoft Corp. today announced a new Web site, H1N1 Response Center (h1n1responsecenter.com), which provides users with timely and relevant content and enables consumers to gauge symptoms and receive guidance using an H1N1 self-assessment service.

“If current estimates are correct, many emergency departments across the nation could be overwhelmed by two groups of patients — those who have H1N1 and those who believe they have H1N1,” said Angela Gardner, M.D., FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

“It is going to be essential that we use every tool and service at our disposal to contain this illness, and online H1N1 self-assessment tools, such as the one offered by Microsoft, can be helpful in providing people with ways to determine whether they should seek emergency care.” Designed to help people decide what to do if they are worried that they or someone they know might have H1N1, the site offers consumers a self-assessment licensed from medical and public health experts at Emory University.

The service assists people in deciding whether their symptoms could be caused by the H1N1 flu virus and provides guidance on what they can do next.

“It is already clear that certain people are more vulnerable to the effects of H1N1 flu virus than others,” said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, professor of emergency medicine and an associate dean of the Emory School of Medicine.

“By providing an at-home tool that can help users evaluate whether they need to see a provider before they head to the hospital, we can encourage those who are severely ill or at risk for serious illness to contact their doctor, and reassure everyone else that it is safe and prudent to recover at home. This will reduce the number of people needlessly exposed to H1N1 influenza in crowded clinic and ER waiting rooms, and allow doctors and nurses to focus their attention on those who need them most.”

If a person decides to see a provider after taking the assessment, a prepare-for-visit tool allows him or her to compile an organized health history for providers by combining the self-assessment answers with health information stored in the user’s account in Microsoft HealthVault, a personal health application platform designed to put consumers in control of their health information.

The connected nature of the HealthVault ecosystem enables individuals to act on their assessment through partners such as TelaDoc, which offers telephonic visits, and American Well, which connects individuals to their health plan physicians for video, chat or telephone consultations.

“Any pandemic has the potential to create major disruptions in society,” said David Cerino, general manager, Microsoft Health Solutions Group. “Now more than ever, we are in a position to implement solutions to help people make better decisions during these outbreaks, such as social distancing, because of the technological advancements that companies like Microsoft have made over the past few years.”

The self-assessment licensed from Emory University is based on a “Strategy for Off-site Rapid Triage,” or SORT. SORT reflects current public health and clinical science, vetted by a national network of experts from public health, clinical medicine, health education and infectious disease.

It is grounded in a clinical strategy endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the leading organization for emergency medicine in the U.S.

About Microsoft in Health
Microsoft is committed to improving health around the world through software innovation. Over the past 12 years, Microsoft has steadily increased its investments in health, with a focus on addressing the challenges of health providers, health and social services organizations, payers, consumers and life sciences companies worldwide.

Microsoft closely collaborates with a broad ecosystem of partners and develops its own powerful health solutions, such as Amalga and HealthVault.

Together, Microsoft and its industry partners are working to advance a vision of unifying health information and making it more readily available, ensuring the best quality of life and affordable care for everyone.

Four-Fifths of Businesses Foresee Severe Problems Maintaining Operations If Significant H1N1 Flu Outbreak

Employees Will Face Challenges As Few Businesses Offer Paid Leave to Care for Sick Family Members

For immediate release: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Boston, MA--In a national survey of businesses that looks at their preparations for a possible widespread H1N1 outbreak, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that only one-third believe they could sustain their business without severe operational problems if half their workforce were absent for two weeks due to H1N1 (also known as "swine flu"). Just one-fifth believe they could avoid such problems for one month with half their employees out. The survey also found that while 74% of businesses offer paid sick leave for employees, only 35% of businesses offer paid leave that would allow employees to take care of sick family members, and even fewer would allow paid time off to care for children if schools/daycares were closed (21%).

The survey is part of an ongoing series about the country's response to the H1N1 flu outbreak undertaken by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at HSPH. The polling was done July 16-August 12, 2009.

"Businesses need to start planning how to adjust their operations to account for greater absenteeism and to slow the spread of H1N1 in the workplace," said Robert Blendon, Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at HSPH.

Likelihood and Impact of Serious Outbreak

Just over half of businesses in the U.S. (52%) believe there will be a more widespread and more severe outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) in the fall. If such an outbreak does occur, 84% of firms are concerned that it will negatively affect their business.

Surviving Absenteeism

One key reason that businesses may be concerned is that they have a limited ability to maintain operations successfully if a significant portion of their workforce is absent due to an outbreak of H1N1. Only a third of businesses believe they could avoid having severe operational problems for 2 weeks if 50% of their workforce were absent due to H1N1; less than a quarter (22%) of firms believe they could do so for a month. In general, more small businesses believe they would be able to avoid having severe operational problems with a reduced workforce as compared to large businesses. For example, small business are more likely than large businesses to say they could avoid having severe operational problems for 2 weeks if half their workforce were absent (40% vs. 27%), or to avoid having severe operational problems for a month if half their workforce were absent (27% vs. 18%).

Policies Affecting Employees in the Event of an H1N1 Outbreak

Leave Policies. Currently, three-quarters (74%) of businesses offer paid sick leave for at least some employees. Fewer offer paid leave that would allow employees to take care of sick family members (35%) or to take time off to care for children if schools/daycares closed (21%). Small businesses are less likely than medium or large businesses to offer paid leave for taking care of sick family members (27% vs. 40% and 43% respectively).

"Looking ahead, a critical issue will be that employees who must take care of children if they are sick or if schools and daycares close this fall may face financial troubles. Flexibility from employers can help," said Blendon.

About one in 10 businesses (12%) made changes to their employee policies after the spring outbreak of H1N1. However, few businesses that do not currently offer leave anticipate adding new leave policies in the wake of a more severe outbreak this fall. For example, only 6% of those who do not offer sick leave expect they will begin offering it if there is a serious outbreak. A minority of businesses currently offering leave to their employees believe they will enhance their existing leave policies by extending them to more employees or increasing the amount of time available if there were a serious outbreak. For example, 18% of firms offering sick leave expect they would increase the number of employees who have sick leave, and 29% expect they would extend the amount of sick time employees can take if there were a serious outbreak.

A Note from the Doctor. In a widespread outbreak, many people may have problems getting to see a physician due to the number of sick individuals. This may pose a challenge for workers whose employers have policies requiring a note for absences or for returning to work after an illness. Nearly half of businesses that offer sick leave (43%) currently require a doctor's note to take that leave. More than two-thirds of businesses that offer sick leave (69%) require a doctor's note to return to work after contagious illnesses. Small businesses that offer sick leave are less likely than large businesses that offer sick leave to require a doctor's note to stay home (33% vs. 50%) or return to work (60% vs. 75%). Few businesses report that they are likely to change their policies in the event of a serious outbreak. Only 10% of those that currently require a doctor's note to stay home and 10% of those that require a note to return to work after a contagious illness predict they will no longer do so in the event of a serious outbreak.

Strategies to Slow the Spread of the Illness if the Outbreak Becomes More Severe

One of the approaches to slowing the spread of the H1N1 virus if it becomes more severe is to encourage businesses to adopt strategies to limit contact between employees and between employees and customers. If these policies were recommended, many businesses would face serious problems in implementing them for long periods of time. Roughly half of businesses could make changes for at least 1-2 weeks before they ran into significant problems. For example, almost six in ten (59%) could stagger shifts in order to increase distances between people at the business site and on mass transit for at least 1-2 weeks; 42% could stagger shifts for more than 4 weeks. Fewer businesses could physically rearrange their workspace to reduce contact between employees (44%) or between employees and customers (42%) for at least 1-2 weeks. Only a quarter (26%) of businesses could keep up such a strategy for more than 4 weeks.

Getting Information for Planning

Businesses report being interested in learning more about how to support their business and employees in a serious outbreak. Interest is highest for information about keeping employees safe (77%), coping with a reduced workforce (59%) and planning for supply interruptions (59%).

Information for businesses about H1N1 flu planning is available at the following websites supported by the Department of Health and Human Services:

Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan for and Respond to 2009-2010 Influenza Season: http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/guidance.html

Preparing for the Flu (including 2009 H1N1 Flu): A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers: http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/toolkit.html

This poll is the fourth in a series of polls about the way that Americans and their institutions are responding to the H1N1 flu outbreak. Previous polls focused on the American public.

The first survey was released May 1, 2009.
The second survey was released May 8, 2009.
The third survey was released on July 15, 2009.

Methodology

This study is part on an ongoing series on the public and biological security by the Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP) at Harvard School of Public Health. The study was designed and analyzed by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The project director is Robert J. Blendon of the Harvard School of Public Health. The research team also includes Gillian K. SteelFisher, John M. Benson, and Kathleen J. Weldon of the Harvard School of Public Health, and Melissa J. Herrmann of SSRS/ICR. Fieldwork was conducted via telephone (including both landline and cell phone) for HORP by SSRS/ICR of Media (PA) July 16-August 12, 2009.

The survey was conducted with a representative sample of Human Resources personnel at 1,057 businesses across the United States selected using randomization. It included samples of small (20-99 employees); medium (100-500 employees); and large (>500 employees) businesses. In addition, it included samples of businesses designated as Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource (CIKR) institutions according to the Department of Homeland Security's general categories. The total sample included 180 small CI/KR and 173 small non-CI/KR businesses; 179 medium CI/KR and 177 medium non-CI/KR businesses; and 171 large CI/KR and 177 large non-CI/KR businesses. In the overall results, these groups were weighted to their actual proportion of businesses in the United States.

The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Possible sources of non-sampling error include non-response bias, as well as question wording and ordering effects. Non-response in telephone surveys of businesses may produce biases in survey-derived estimates if participation varies for different types of businesses. To compensate for this potential, sample data are weighted to the most recent data available from the Dunn and Bradstreet national databases of business listings for size, CI/KR status, and industry. Other techniques, including randomized sample selection, replicate subsamples, and varied call times are used to ensure that the sample is representative.

For more information:
Todd Datz / 617-432-3952 / tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu
Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu

http://youngwomenmisbehavin.com/2009/05/11/swine-flu/

The Real Value of Swine Flu
Posted by egehl on May 11, 2009

Throughout the swine flu craze of the past few weeks it never occurred to me what the policy ramifications of a national health scare could be beyond the obvious public health issues.

Recently the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) issued a statement to remind the public that many workers do not have paid sick leave: “Challenge in Curbing the Spread of Swine Flu: Half of Workforce Lacks Paid Sick Days.” This means that if a large amount of the population caught the swine flu, or any illness for that matter, that people would not be able to stay at home for fear of not being able to pay their bills or feed their family. And what happens if a child’s school is closed? Parents have to make the tough decision to either stay at home and not get paid or leave their 8 year old home alone.

While the connection is obvious, public health officials and the media have failed to recognize the ramifications of a swine flu outbreak in the workplace. IWPR’s timely statement makes a poignant and important point that as officials try to prevent the spread of this new flu they must realize that many workers do not have the ability to leave their jobs in the event of an illness, much less a dire one. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other data conducted by IWPR, they have found that less than half of workers have paid sick days and only one in three are able to utilize sick days to care for sick children.

Workers who work in direct contact with the public and would be the most likely to pass on an illness like the swine flu, such as restaurant workers, child care workers and hotel employees, are among the least likely to have paid sick days.

In 2007, Congress first introduced the Healthy Families Act which would require that employers with fifteen or more employees guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days so that employees can recover from a short-term illness, care for a sick family member, seek routine medical care or seek assistance related to domestic violence.

The Healthy Families Act has not been introduced in the 111th Congress yet and in light of the swine flu epidemic, now would be an opportune time. In addition to raising awareness in Congress through this federal bill, the Administration is also being reminded that they must keep in mind the state of workplaces when issuing recommendations. A letter written by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative DeLauro (D-CT) was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to call attention to their recommendation that workers stay home to prevent the spread of swine flu. But how can they when nearly half of private sector workers have no paid sick leave?

Currently there are no State or Federal laws that guarantee all workers a minimum number of paid sick days.

Paid sick day legislation has been proposed or enacted at the federal, state, and local levels.

Thirteen states have proposed legislation for paid sick days (CA, CT, FL, MA, ME, MO, NC, NY, OH, PA, TN, VT, WV) and three municipalities have passed paid sick days legislation (San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; and Milwaukee, WI).

Fast Facts

• Nearly half (48%) of private-sector workers don’t have any paid sick days to care for their own health or that of a family member.


• Half of all working mothers report that they have had to miss work to care for an ailing child and of those half reported that they lost wages in the process.


• Two thirds of families with children have either two employed parents, or a single employed parent, most of whom now work full-time


• Companies that provide paid sick days and leave tend to have lower job turnover rates, lower recruitment and training costs, lower unnecessary absenteeism, and a higher level of productivity than firms that do not offer this benefit.


• On average, workers need 1.8 sick days a year to care for themselves and 4 days a year to care for sick children

Sources:
Institute for Women's Policy Research / Kaiser Family Foundation U.S. Census Bureau / Families and Work Institute Sloan Work and Family Research Network
Business and Professional Women’s Foundation
Web site: http://www.bpwfoundation.org

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990906023

Amid swine flu fears, Florida businesses stress hygiene, planning
By Jeff Ostrowski, Allison Ross and Susan Salisbury
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer - September 6, 2009

Should swine flu sweep South Florida, Becky Cohen is ready.

Cohen runs disaster preparations for BankAtlantic Bancorp, and she holds the Certified Business Continuity Planner designation (yes, in this era of SARS and Y2K scares, there is such a thing). With nearly 100 branches in Florida, many of them open Saturdays and Sundays, BankAtlantic offers an ideal venue for the H1N1 virus to spread.

So Cohen already has prepared doomsday plans that would let the bank keep handling deposits and withdrawals while minimizing person-to-person contact.

"We can always go down to just drive-through. We can always go to just ATMs, if it got down to Will Smith movie-type stuff," Cohen said. "But in reality, we're just trying to keep the branches clean."

Five Palm Beach County residents and more than five dozen Floridians have died of complications from swine flu this year, and President Obama's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology last month issued a grim report predicting as many as 90,000 deaths nationwide.

But with swine flu still more threat than reality, many Florida businesses are repeating the old saw about preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. They're also telling workers to stay home if they're ill - but not to worry about losing their jobs if they have to take time off to care for sick children.

Retailers, restaurants, malls and large employers say they're stressing cleanliness. At the Mall at Wellington Green, for instance, workers take special care to wipe down the trays in the food court.

"We've stepped up the frequency of the cleaning, especially in high-traffic areas like the play area, the restaurants and the food court," said Rachelle Crain, the mall's marketing director.

Publix urges employees to wash their hands often or to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, spokeswoman Kim Jaeger said. Florida's dominant grocer has placed wipes at front entrances for customers to use on shopping cart handles.

At E.R. Bradley's in West Palm Beach, there are dispensers of hand sanitizer at the bar, on the hostess stand and at every service station.

"In my office, I'm looking at three of them," owner Nicholas Coniglio said.

Coniglio also owns Cucina dell'Arte and Nick & Johnnie's in Palm Beach, and those eateries have stocked up on hand sanitizer, too.

"Beyond that, there's nothing we can really do. It's a little scary," Coniglio said. "If there's a huge outbreak in West Palm Beach, we'll probably have the kitchen staff start wearing masks."

The Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan likewise is harping on hygiene. There's hand sanitizer stationed throughout the employee areas, and housekeepers use sanitizing sheets to wipe down railings and door handles, spokeswoman Christine DiRocco said. And the hotel has been circulating an e-mail on effective hand-washing techniques.

Aside from keeping clean, some employers offer free flu shots to workers.

The Duffy's restaurant chain, for instance, is paying for workers' flu shots, the first time it has done so, said owner Paul Emmett.

Publix also gives free flu shots to employees, and customers can receive a flu shot at Publix for $25, $5 below last year's cost.

If a swine flu outbreak strikes Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, it's likely to hit hardest in schools - and that poses challenges for parents who need to take care of sick kids or who catch the virus from their infected children.

With Florida's unemployment rate at a 34-year high and more than a million Floridians seeking jobs, skittish workers aren't eager to miss time from work. So employers promise employees they won't be fired for missing work if an H1N1 pandemic hits.

"We assume there will be school closings," Emmett said. "If that happens, we told our employees to feel free to stay home with the kids. You don't have to worry that your job is at risk."

BankAtlantic likewise tells employees to take time off if they need it. The company even added "pandemic exceptions" to its sick-time policy.

"Part of our education is, 'You've got sick time,'" Cohen said.

While employers say they'll go easy on workers who are forced to stay home with the kids, all are talking tough about making employees stay home if they have a fever.

"We simply will not allow employees to come to work if they're sick," said Alan Polackwich, an executive vice president at Riverside National Bank.

Like BankAtlantic, Riverside National Bank has a plan for closing branches to walk-in traffic and using drive-through lanes or ATMs instead.

But, Polackwich said, "We're nowhere near that stage" - and he hopes it stays that way.

Modeling tool shows how public-health efforts can reduce flu's spread
Published on April 30, 2009
by Insciences

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University researchers have developed a tool that simulates how the spread of pandemic flu would be dramatically reduced by using antiviral drugs and "social-distancing" measures, such as school closures and working from home.

"Visualizing how specific actions would help to control the spread of a flu pandemic is very valuable to public health officials," said David S. Ebert, a professor in Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Purdue Visualization and Analytics Center, which leads visualization sciences for the Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence for Command, Control, and Interoperability. "The idea is to help officials make decisions in terms of when to use stockpiles of antiviral drugs, when to close schools and issue media alerts for social-distancing measures."

Based on published epidemiology literature and data from the 1918 flu pandemic, the tool, developed in collaboration with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, simulates the flu's daily spread over a two-month period across Indiana. It compares how the disease progresses if steps are or aren't taken to control the spread and the impact of when the measures are implemented.

The tool, called PanViz, was first prepared for the Indiana State Department of Health, and researchers are working to provide it to other states. The visualization demonstrates how certain actions affect the availability of hospital beds, the percentage of ill people and the percentage of deaths.

"You can also visualize the disease's progress based on where it originates in the state and see the effect of population demographics," Ebert said. "For example, the spread would be slower in rural than urban areas, and so on."

The researchers have prepared a simple video to show a side-by-side comparison, displaying the changing, color-coded infection rate. The video, which assumes the first case was reported in Chicago, is available at http://pixel.ecn.purdue.edu:8080/~rmacieje/PanViz_Video.avi

"This tool does not provide a prediction, but a scientifically based simulation for showing the relative benefit of implementing different actions," Ebert said. "We do not have sufficient data to begin to predict the spread and impact, but given enough statistics, the model used in the tool will be more predictive. For instance, if we knew the expected spread rate and mortality from H1N1 infections in the United States, the tool would become more statistically accurate."

The research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the Department's Center of Excellence program and the Indiana State Department of Health.

Social-distancing strategies to reduce contact between people include closing schools, reducing public gatherings, limiting personal interactions, working from home and voluntary quarantine. The tool is currently able to simulate the impact of using antiviral medications and implementing school closures and personal social distancing, such as proper cough etiquette, not shaking hands and restricting close interaction with others. Future research may expand the model to see how additional social-distancing actions, such as restricting public gatherings, canceling social events, and quarantines, would influence the spread.

Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu
Contacts: David Ebert, 765-494-9064, ebertd@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu