Pandemic flu preparations
IrisD
97 Posts
Has anyone made specific plans for a pandemic flu outbreak?
IrisD
97 Posts
Comments
Hi IrisD--As you're awaiting other responses, if you search on hr.blr.com, you'll see a number of documents related to pandemic flu, including a "Business Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist" (under Checklists). It's from the Department of Health & Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's got a lot of good tips in the areas of planning for the impact on your business, employees and customers; how to communicate and educate employees; types of policies you should establish that can be implemented during a pandemic, and more. It's available to everyone.
Hi Iris:
We have revised our leave policies to account for a pandemic situation, to provide for leave to care for kids during school closings and to utilize temporary telecommuting arrangements under pandemic conditions. Our policies are worded very generally, such as:
In the event of a pandemic (i.e., widespread outbreak of a communicable disease such as influenza) employees will be permitted additional paid medical leave if they are infected with the disease or if they have been exposed to the disease. Additional unpaid leave will be granted to employees who are unable to work due to the pandemic, but for reasons unrelated to their own illness (e.g. to care for family members who are ill, or to care for a dependent child whose school has closed temporarily due to the pandemic).
Hope this helps!