Guidance for Businesses and Employers
to Plan and Respond to the 2009 – 2010 Influenza Season
AUGUST 19, 2009
CDC
is releasing new guidance that recommends actions that non-healthcare
employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and
2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity
during the 2009–2010 flu season.1 The
guidance includes additional strategies to use if flu conditions become
more severe and some new recommendations regarding when a worker who is
ill with influenza may return to work. The guidance in this document
may change as additional information about the severity of the
2009-2010 influenza season and the impact of 2009 H1N1 influenza become
known. Please check www.flu.gov periodically for updated guidance
Introduction
The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), with input from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), has developed updated guidance for employers
of all sizes to use as they develop or review and update plans to
respond to 2009 H1N1 influenza now and during the upcoming fall and
winter influenza season. Businesses and employers, in general, play a
key role in protecting employees' health and safety, as well as in
limiting the negative impact of influenza outbreaks on the individual,
the community, and the nation’s economy. Employers who have developed
pandemic plans should review and revise their plans in light of the
current 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak to take into account the extent
and severity of disease in their community as outlined in this guidance.2
Planning for Fall and Winter Influenza Season
Businesses
may have already been impacted by the spring and summer outbreaks of
2009 H1N1 influenza affecting their employees. CDC anticipates that
more communities may be affected than were in the spring/summer 2009,
and/or more severely affected reflecting wider transmission and
possibly greater impact. In addition, seasonal influenza viruses may
cause illness at the same time as 2009 H1N1 this fall and winter. In
response to the anticipated spread of 2009 H1N1 influenza, the CDC has
revised its recommendations to assist businesses and other employers of
all sizes.
The severity of illness that 2009 H1N1 influenza flu
will cause (including hospitalizations and deaths) or the amount of
illness that may occur as a result of seasonal influenza during the
2009–2010 influenza season cannot be predicted with a high degree of
certainty. Therefore, employers should plan to be able to respond in a
flexible way to varying levels of severity and be prepared to refine
their pandemic influenza response plans if a potentially more serious
outbreak of influenza evolves during the fall and winter. More people
and communities are likely to be affected as influenza is more widely
transmitted. The CDC and its partners will continuously monitor
national and international data on the severity of illness caused by
influenza, will disseminate the results of these ongoing surveillance
and will make additional recommendations as needed.
Considerations of Appropriate Response Strategies
All
employers must balance a variety of objectives when determining how
best to decrease the spread of influenza and lower the impact of
influenza in the workplace. They should consider and communicate their
objectives, which may include one or more of the following: (a)
reducing transmission among staff, (b) protecting people who are at
increased risk of influenza related complications from getting infected
with influenza, (c) maintaining business operations, and (d) minimizing
adverse effects on other entities in their supply chains.
Employers
should expect to see a wide range of disease patterns across the
country. Employers should base their strategies and response to
influenza outbreaks on local information from local and state public
health authorities. Some of the key indicators that should be used when
making decisions on appropriate responses are:
- Disease severity (i.e., hospitalization and death rates) in the community where business is located;
- Extent of disease (number of people who are sick) in the community;
- Amount of worker absenteeism in your business or organization;
- Impact
of disease on workforce populations that are vulnerable and at higher
risk (e.g., pregnant women, employees with certain chronic medical
conditions that put them at increased risk for complications of
influenza); and
- Other factors that may affect employees’
ability to get to work, such as school dismissals or closures due to
high levels of illness in children or school dismissals.
Employers
need to plan now to be able to obtain updated information on these
indicators from state and local health departments in each community
where they have a business presence and to respond quickly to the
changing reality on the ground. Employers with more than one business
location are encouraged to provide local managers with the authority to
take appropriate actions outlined in their business pandemic plan based
on the condition in each locality.
Preparedness and Response Recommendations
Planning for 2009 H1N1 and the 2009–2010 influenza season
This
guidance is designed to help employers plan for and respond to two
possible conditions: 1) a continuation of the current level of severity
of influenza as was observed during the spring and summer of 2009 and
2) a more severe outbreak. The first situation is what is being
experienced in some communities now—an outbreak of similar severity of
2009 H1N1 to the spring. However, even if the severity of the virus
does not change, planners should expect that there will be more people
who are ill in the fall and winter as 2009 H1N1 outbreaks coincide with
the seasonal influenza season, and this level of absenteeism may impact
business operations. A second situation involves an outbreak of greater
severity including more people with severe illness and thus, more
people hospitalized for influenza complications; more deaths from
influenza; and a probable escalation of absenteeism.
Businesses
should have an understanding of their normal seasonal absenteeism rates
and know how to monitor their personnel for any unusual increases in
absenteeism through the fall and winter. Business continuity planners
should assess their essential business functions now to determine at
what threshold of absenteeism those functions would be threatened if
absenteeism escalates. Planners can then prepare to take more
aggressive measures to protect continuity as absenteeism escalates
towards those thresholds.
Even employers in communities that have
not yet felt effects from 2009 H1N1 influenza should plan for an
influenza outbreak this fall and winter, and be ready to implement
strategies to protect their workforce while ensuring continuity of
operations. During an influenza pandemic, all
sick people should stay home and away from the workplace, hand washing
and covering coughs and sneezes should be encouraged, and routine
cleaning of commonly touched surfaces should be performed regularly. If
the severity of illness increases, employers should be ready to
implement additional measures while continuing to rigorously implement
the interventions recommended for an outbreak similar to the
spring/summer 2009 H1N1 outbreak. If severity increases, public health
officials may recommend a variety of methods for increasing the
physical distance between people (called social distancing) to reduce
the spread of disease, such as school dismissal, child care program
closure, canceling large community gatherings, canceling large
business-related meetings, spacing workers farther apart in the
workplace, canceling non-essential travel, and recommending
work-from-home strategies for workers that can conduct their business
remotely.
Please remember: employers should develop capabilities
to respond to both scenarios and these two conditions serve only as a
planning framework. Businesses and other employers should develop flexible capabilities to respond to either
situation given the difficulties in accurately predicting the extent
and severity of 2009 H1N1 as it unfolds during the 2009–2010 influenza
season. Individual businesses may implement additional actions if they
experience high absenteeism or business continuity is compromised. In
addition, employers should be aware that other emergencies such as
hurricanes or other natural disasters may happen during the fall and
winter, creating additional challenging problems for businesses and
communities.
Work with State and Local Public Health Partners
Coordination
with state and local health officials is strongly encouraged for all
businesses so that timely and accurate information can guide
appropriate responses in each location where their operations reside.
Since the intensity of an outbreak may differ according to geographic
location, local public health officials will be issuing guidance
specific to their communities. Also, businesses could work with public
health and community leaders to explore ways of improving accessibility
of vaccination for the workforce and in the community.
Keep Sick Workers Home
One
of the best way to reduce the spread of influenza is to keep sick
people away from well people. However, in the fall and winter, it will
not be possible to quickly determine if workers who are ill have 2009
H1N1, seasonal influenza, or any number of other different conditions
based on symptoms alone. Local and state health department surveillance
information can be helpful to know when influenza is circulating in the
community, although the availability, timeliness, and amount of local
information on when influenza is circulating may vary substantially
from community to community.
Workers who have symptoms of influenza-like illness3 are recommended to stay home and not come to work until at least 24 hours after their fever has resolved.4 Regardless of the size of the business or the function or services that you provide, all
employers should plan now to allow and encourage sick workers to stay
home without fear of losing their jobs. CDC recommends this strategy
for all levels of severity. Employers should plan now for how they will
operate if there is significant absenteeism from sick workers. However,
employers should know that some persons with influenza, including those
ill with 2009 H1N1, do not have fever. Therefore it will not be
possible to exclude everyone who is ill with influenza from the
workplace.
Be Prepared if Schools Dismiss Students or Child Care Programs Close
In
some communities, schools may dismiss students and childcare programs
may close, particularly if the severity increases. Officials will make
these decisions to protect public health, but they will affect your
business’s functioning, especially affecting absenteeism. Plan now to
determine how you will operate if absenteeism spikes from increases in
sick workers, those who stay home to care for ill family members, and
those who must stay home to watch their children if dismissed from
school. Businesses and other employers should prepare to institute
flexible workplace and leave policies for these workers.
Actions Employers Should Take Now
- Review or establish a flexible influenza pandemic plan and involve your employees in developing and reviewing your plan;
- Conduct
a focused discussion or exercise using your plan, to find out ahead of
time whether the plan has gaps or problems that need to be corrected
before flu season;
- Have an understanding of your organization’s
normal seasonal absenteeism rates and know how to monitor your
personnel for any unusual increases in absenteeism through the fall and
winter.
- Engage state and local health department to confirm
channels of communication and methods for dissemination of local
outbreak information;
- Allow sick workers to stay home without fear of losing their jobs;
- 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;
- Share your influenza pandemic plan
with employees and explain what human resources policies, workplace and
leave flexibilities, and pay and benefits will be available to them;
- Share
best practices with other businesses in your communities (especially
those in your supply chain), chambers of commerce, and associations to
improve community response efforts; and
- Add a “widget” or
“button” to your company Web page or employee Web sites so employees
can access the latest information on influenza: www.cdc.gov/widgets/ and www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Campaigns/H1N1/buttons.html
Important Components of an Influenza Pandemic Plan
- Be
prepared to implement multiple measures to protect workers and ensure
business continuity. A layered approach will likely work better than
using just one measure.
- Identify possible work-related exposure
and health risks to your employees. The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has developed tools to determine if your
employees are at risk of work-related exposures and, if so, how to
respond - (see www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/pandemicflu/index.html).
- Review
human resources policies to make sure that policies and practices are
consistent with public health recommendations and are consistent with
existing state and federal workplace laws (for more information on
employer responsibilities, employers should visit the Department of
Labor’s and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s websites at www.dol.gov and www.eeoc.gov).
- Allow
employees to stay home if they are ill, have to care for ill family
members, or must watch their children if schools or childcare
facilities close.
- Explore whether you can establish policies
and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and
flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), when possible, to
increase the physical distance among employees and between employees
and others if local public health authorities recommend the use of
social distancing strategies. Ensure that you have the information
technology and infrastructure needed to support multiple workers who
may be able to work from home.
- Identify essential business
functions, essential jobs or roles, and critical elements within your
supply chains (e.g., raw materials, suppliers, subcontractor
services/products, and logistics) required to maintain business
operations. Plan for how your business will operate if there is
increasing absenteeism or these supply chains are interrupted.
- Set
up authorities, triggers, and procedures for activating and terminating
the company’s response plan, altering business operations (e.g.,
possibly changing or closing operations in affected areas), and
transferring business knowledge to key employees. Work closely with
your local health officials to identify these triggers.
- Plan to minimize exposure to fellow employees or the public if public health officials call for social distancing.
- Establish
a process to communicate information to workers and business partners
on your 2009 H1N1 influenza response plans and latest 2009 H1N1
influenza information. Anticipate employee fear, anxiety, rumors, and
misinformation, and plan communications accordingly.
Over
the past several years, HHS, CDC, DHS, OSHA, EEOC, and other federal
partners have developed guidelines, including checklists, to assist
businesses, industries, and other employers in planning for a pandemic
outbreak. Review these resources to assist in your planning efforts: www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/index.html.
The
recommendations that follow provide guidance on how employers can
develop strategies and respond to two levels of severity. Local
conditions will influence the decisions that public health officials
make regarding community-level strategies; employers should take the
time now to learn about plans in place in each community where they
have a presence.
Recommended Employer Responses for the 2009-2010 Flu Season
Recommended Action Steps under Current Flu Conditions
(Similar Severity as in Spring/Summer 2009)
If
the severity of illness in the fall and winter is similar to that
observed in the spring and summer of 2009, the effects of 2009 H1N1
influenza may not have substantial impacts on absenteeism, though some
increase in absenteeism over the spring season is anticipated. When
larger numbers of people become ill, correspondingly larger numbers of
people will become seriously ill and may require hospitalization.
Sick persons should stay home
- Advise
workers to be alert to any signs of fever and any other signs of
influenza-like illness before reporting to work each day, and notify
their supervisor and stay home if they are ill. Employees who are ill
should not travel while they are ill.
- CDC recommends that
employees with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24
hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8° C] or greater), or
signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- Expect sick employees to be out for about 3 to 5 days in most cases, even if antiviral medications are used.
- Ensure
that your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public
health guidance and that employees are well aware of these policies.
- Talk
with companies that provide your company with contract or temporary
workers about the importance of sick workers staying home and encourage
them to develop non-punitive leave policies.
- Do not require a
doctor’s note for workers who are ill with influenza-like illness to
validate their illness or to return to work, as doctor’s offices and
medical facilities may be extremely busy and may not be able to provide
such documentation in a timely way.
- Employees who are well but
who have an ill family member at home with influenza can go to work as
usual. However, these employees should monitor their health every day,
and notify their supervisor and stay home if they become ill. Employers
should maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to
care for an ill family member. Employers should be aware that more
workers may need to stay at home to care for ill children or other ill
family members than is usual.
Sick employees at work should be advised to go home
- CDC
recommends that workers who appear to have an influenza-like illness
upon arrival or become ill during the day be promptly separated from
other workers and be advised to go home until at least 24 hours after
they are free of fever (100° F [37.8° C] or greater), or signs of a
fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- Those who become ill with symptoms of an influenza-like illness during the work day should be:
- Separated
from other workers and asked to go home promptly. (For recommendations
on personal protective equipment for a person assisting the ill
employee see Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to
Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission; www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm)
- When
possible and if they can tolerate it, workers with influenza-like
illness should be given a surgical mask to wear before they go home if
they cannot be placed in an area away from others.
- If
an employee becomes ill at work, inform fellow employees of their
possible exposure in the workplace to influenza-like illness but
maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). For more information on privacy issues, please refer to: http://www.flu.gov/faq/workplace_questions/equal_employment/index.html#PrivacyIssues.
Employees exposed to a sick co-worker should monitor themselves for
symptoms of influenza-like illness and stay home if they are sick.
Cover coughs and sneezes
- Influenza
viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person in
respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Provide employee messages
on the importance of covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or, in
the absence of a tissue, one’s sleeve. Place posters in the worksite
that encourages cough and sneeze etiquette.
- Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.
Improve hand hygiene
- Influenza
may be spread via contaminated hands. Instruct employees to wash their
hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner,
especially after coughing or sneezing. Place posters in the worksite
that encourage hand hygiene.
- Provide soap and water and
alcohol-based hand sanitizers in the workplace. Ensure that adequate
supplies are maintained. If feasible, place hand sanitizers in multiple
locations or in conference rooms to encourage hand hygiene.
Clean surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact
- Frequently
clean all commonly touched surfaces in the workplace, such as
workstations, countertops, and doorknobs.Use the cleaning agents that
are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label.
- No additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended.
Encourage employees to get vaccinated
- Encourage
your employees to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza. For
information on groups prioritized for seasonal influenza vaccines
please, see http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm.
- Encourage
your employees also to get vaccinated for 2009 H1N1 influenza when
vaccines are available to them. Different groups are prioritized for
2009 H1N1 influenza than for seasonal influenza. For information on
groups prioritized for H1N1 influenza vaccine please see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
- Offer
opportunities at your worksite for influenza vaccination. Consider
granting employees time off from work to get vaccinated if not offered
at the worksite.
- Review the health benefits you offer employees
and work with insurers to explore if they can cover the costs of
influenza vaccination.
Take measures to protect employees who are at higher risk for complications of influenza
- People
at higher risk for complications from influenza include pregnant women;
children under 5 years of age; adults and children who have chronic
lung disease (such as asthma), heart disease, diabetes, diseases that
suppress the immune system and other chronic medical conditions; and
those who are 65 years or older.7
- Inform
employees that some people are at higher risk of complications from
influenza and that if they are at higher risk for complications, they
should check with their health care provider if they become ill. Early
treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at
high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths.
- Encourage
employees recommended for seasonal influenza vaccine and 2009 H1N1
vaccines to get vaccinated as soon as these vaccines are available. For
information on groups prioritized for seasonal and H1N1 vaccines,
please see http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm and http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
- Employees
who become ill and are at increased risk of complications from
influenza and ill employees who are concerned about their illness
should call their health care provider for advice. Their health care
provider might want them to take antiviral medications to reduce the
likelihood of severe complications from the influenza.
- See www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm for more information.
Prepare
for increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees
and their family members, and plan ways for essential business
functions to continue.
- Employers should plan
to monitor and respond to absenteeism at the workplace. Implement plans
to continue your essential functions in case you experience higher than
usual absenteeism. Elevated absentee rates can be due to sick workers,
those who need to stay home and care for others, or from workers with
conditions that make them at higher risk for complications from
influenza and who may be worried about coming to work.
- Cross-train personnel to perform essential functions so that the workplace is able to operate even if key staff are absent.
- Assess
your essential functions and the reliance that others and the community
have on your services or products. Be prepared to change your business
practices if needed to maintain critical operations (e.g. identify
alternative suppliers, prioritize customers, or temporarily suspend
some of your operations if needed).
Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps
- Advise
workers to check themselves for fever and any other signs of
influenza-like illness before starting travel and notify their
supervisor and stay home if they are ill.
- Advise employees who
will be traveling or on temporary assignment about precautions they may
need to take to protect their health and who to call if they become ill.
- Employees
who become ill while traveling and are at increased risk of
complications from influenza and others concerned about their illness
should promptly call a health care provider for advice.
- Ensure employees who become ill while traveling or on temporary assignment understand that they should notify their supervisor.
- If
outside the United States, ill employees should follow your company’s
policy for obtaining medical care or contact a health care provider or
overseas medical assistance company to assist them with finding an
appropriate health care provider in that country, if needed. A U.S.
consular officer can help locate health care services. However, U.S.
embassies, consulates, and military facilities do not have the legal
authority, capability, and resources to evacuate or give medications,
vaccines, or medical care to private U.S. citizens overseas.
- See CDC’s Travel Website (www.cdc.gov/travel) for more information for travelers.
Prepare for the possibility of school dismissal or temporary closure of child care programs
- Although
school dismissals or closures of child care programs are not likely to
be generally recommended at this level of severity, they are possible
in some jurisdictions.
- Be prepared to allow workers to stay home to care for children if schools are dismissed or child care programs are closed.
- Strongly recommend that parents not bring their children with them to work while schools are dismissed.
- Ensure that your leave policies are flexible and non-punitive.
- Cross-train employees to cover essential functions.
- Read
CDC’s Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School
Administrators for School (K-12) Responses, which can be found at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/schoolguidance.htm, to better understand the conditions under which schools may be dismissed.
Under Conditions with Increased Severity Compared to Spring/Summer 2009
If
2009 H1N1 becomes more severe than during spring/summer 2009,
absenteeism will likely be far greater, and additional protective
measures to slow the spread of influenza may be considered. Check with
your local health department for the extent and severity of disease
activity in your community and for recommendations for necessary
measures. Decisions about what tools should be used during a severe
2009 H1N1 outbreak should be based on the observed severity of the
event; its impact on specific subpopulations; the need to protect
workers; the expected benefit of the interventions; the feasibility of
success of implementing these measures; the direct and indirect costs
of different interventions; and the effects on critical infrastructure,
health care delivery, and society. The following are measures that
should be considered if influenza severity increases, and are meant for
use in addition to the measures outlined above.
Consider active screening of employees who report to work
- If
influenza severity increases, at the beginning of the workday or with
each new shift, all employees should be asked about symptoms consistent
with an influenza illness8,
such as fever or chills AND cough or sore throat. If the severity or
the impact of influenza increases, CDC recommends that persons with an
influenza-like illness not come to work or travel and remain at home
for at least 7 days, even if symptoms resolve sooner. Individuals who
are still sick 7 days after they become ill should continue to stay
home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved. If influenza
severity increases, CDC recommends that people stay home at least 7
days whether or not antiviral medications are used.
- Make sure
your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health
guidance, and that your employees are aware of these policies.
- Do not require a doctor’s note for workers who are ill with influenza.
- Continue to advise workers to check for any signs of illness before reporting to work each day.
- Make
contingency plans for increased absenteeism caused by illness in
workers or illness in workers’ family members that would require them
to stay home. Planning for absenteeism could include cross-training
current employees or hiring temporary workers.
Consider
alternative work environments for employees at higher risk for
complications of influenza during periods of increased influenza
activity in the community
- Employees with an
underlying chronic medical condition or who are pregnant should
consider calling their health care provider for advice about how to
reduce their risk of exposure to influenza and, if they get sick, how
best to get early treatment for influenza.
- If influenza
severity increases and if influenza transmission is high in the
community, employers may want to evaluate their work environment to see
how they can reduce the number of people that high-risk employees come
in contact with, such as exploring options for telecommuting from home
(if feasible). Employers can also think about how workers at higher
risk for influenza complications could be reassigned to duties that
have minimal contact with other employees, clients, or customers. If
these workers cannot be reassigned duties to reduce contact with
others, are concerned about their ability to avoid influenza at the
workplace, or will be in crowded conditions at work or while commuting
to work, then consider allowing employees at higher risk for influenza
complications to stay home from work.
- CDC recommends that ill workers at higher risk of complications from influenza seek early treatment if they become ill.
- See www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm for more information.
Consider increasing social distancing in the workplace
- If
influenza severity increases, local public health officials may
recommend that employers implement measures to increase the physical
distanc between people in the workplace to reduce the spread of
influenza. The goal should be for there to be at least 6 feet of
distance between people at most times. This is not a simple or easy
strategy and would typically require considerable flexibility. These
measures may include avoiding crowded work settings, canceling
business-related face-to-face meetings, spacing workers farther apart,
canceling non-essential travel, increasing use of teleworking, and
using staggered shifts to allow fewer workers to be in the workplace at
the same time.9
- If
appropriate for your type of business and feasible, review or develop
policies for teleworking including an assessment of the capabilities
and gaps of your current computer systems and availability of technical
support. Take remedial steps if needed, and test your system in advance
to assure it can handle an increase in remote users.
- Recommendations
to increase social distancing may affect community functioning. Because
supply chain issues may be affected, make sure you have plans for
back-up suppliers.
Consider canceling non-essential business travel and advising employees about possible disruptions while traveling overseas
- If
the severity of the outbreak worldwide increases in the fall or winter,
public health officials may recommend social distancing strategies
which include canceling non-essential travel and travel restrictions
may be enacted by some countries which may limit the ability of
employees to return home if they become ill while on travel status.
- If
influenza severity increases, travelers should also be prepared for
travel delays, health screenings, and other activities targeted towards
travelers. Provide information to travelers about contingency plans and
how their travel can be rebooked for these possible delays.
Prepare for school dismissal or closure of child care programs
- School
dismissals and closure of child care programs are more likely at higher
levels of severity. Be prepared to allow workers to stay home to care
for their children if schools are dismissed or child care programs are
closed. If dismissal is needed, schools are being advised to dismiss
students for at least 5 to 7 calendar days or longer if necessary.
- Encourage
employees who perform essential functions and who have children to plan
for contingencies should local child care programs close or schools
dismiss students.
- Be prepared for prolonged absenteeism if
schools dismiss students for an extended time. Make sure your leave
policies are flexible and non-punitive.
- Employers should strongly recommend that parents not bring their children with them to work while schools are dismissed.
- Implement flexible workplace policies like teleworking and staggered shifts.
- Cross-train employees to cover essential functions.
- Read CDC’s school guidance, which can be found at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/schoolguidance.htm, to better understand the conditions under which schools may be dismissed.
Other considerations
- As
part of their comprehensive pandemic planning, some public and private
sector employers have stockpiled or otherwise arranged for influenza
antiviral drugs to be available for their employees during a pandemic.
To guide these efforts, HHS released guidance to businesses in 2008
entitled Considerations for Antiviral Drug Stockpiling by Employers in Preparation for an Influenza Pandemic (www.flu.gov/vaccine/antiviral_employers.html).
See updated interim guidance on the use of antiviral agents for
treatment and prophylaxis of 2009 H1N1 influenza infection at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm.
- Employers
should be aware that the severity of 2009 H1N1 influenza could change
rapidly; therefore, local public health recommendations to communities
and businesses could be revised quickly. Planners should identify
sources of timely and accurate information so they are aware of changes
to recommendations and can promptly implement revised or additional
measures recommended by local public health officials.
Resources
Additional
tools and guidance documents have been developed by the federal
government to assist employers in their planning. These resources are
available online at: www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/index.html.
One-Stop Access to U.S. Government Information on Pandemic Influenza
(www.flu.gov)
1
This guidance was developed for use by employers that do not provide
health care services or have “high and very high exposure risk tasks
and operations.” Please see : https://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html#classifying_exposure
for more information about levels of occupational risk and exposure.
Special considerations need to be included for these employers.
Resources for health care entities can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/clinicians/
2
In 2006, to help businesses and employers with pandemic planning, the
United States government (USG) created response stages to guide actions
for state and local government and the private sector. Until the 2009
H1N1 influenza outbreak, the planning was based on the assumption that
the next pandemic would start overseas and would be high in severity
and therefore the stages served as a guide for planning and response.
However, because of the unique characteristics of the 2009 H1N1
influenza outbreak, the stages will no longer be used as a planning and
response framework.
3
Symptoms of influenza-like illness include fever or chills and cough or
sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body
aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.
4 Fever is usually described as 100°F [37.8°C] or greater.
5 For more information about CDC’s recommendations for schools, see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/schoolguidance.htm.
6 Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and
cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny
nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.
7
People older than 65 years of age and older are at lower risk of
getting infected with 2009 H1N1 than younger persons. However, similar
to seasonal influenza, when people 65 and older do get infected with
2009 H1N1, they are at increased risk of severe illness.
8
Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In
addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache,
tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.
