Preparing for Swine Flu

You don't have to do any complex calculations with your small business software to realize that a pandemic such as flu could take a toll on your company's bottom line. In fact, a recent Harvard School of Public Health study found that only one-third of small businesses believed they could operate without severe problems if their workforce were cut in half for two weeks due to H1N1.

Despite this realization, the study also showed that many small firms did not have necessary policies in place - such as sick leave for employees to care for relatives - to deal with a potential outbreak of the flu.

With this in mind, the Department of Homeland Security has teamed up with the Small Business Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create guidelines for employers to implement immediately in preparation for flu season.

Here are some highlights:

Create a dedicated flu team and leader

Make sure you identify an individual who can coordinate preparedness and response efforts in the case of a flu outbreak. Depending on the size of your workforce, you may want to create an entire team. Those responsible would be in charge of developing and implementing protocols, as well as building contacts with health providers and officials.

Choose a go-to person for workplace illness

You may want to appoint someone different as the go-to person for those who fall ill in the workplace. This individual would be in charge of quarantining the sick worker in a separate room away from colleagues, providing a facemask and helping them get home as soon as possible.

Develop a business continuity plan

In the case of a massive outbreak of swine flu, you need to have a continuity plan prepared in order to continue operations. Are you aware of which employees, materials, suppliers and logistics are essential to your business? Do you know how much of a financial impact a flu pandemic would have on your earnings?

Make a list of vital contacts

Having a list of your most important contacts will help facilitate communication in the case of a pandemic. Use your small business software to compile a file of crucial data on suppliers and customers, as well as detailing a process for tracking business and worker status.

Review sick leave, remote working and compensation policies

Go over your policies on sick leave, compensation and working from home. Be prepared to allow telecommuting when necessary and remember that workers with children may have to care for their kids if schools close in response to a pandemic.

Communicate policies to workers

Guarantee that your employees are up-to-date on these issues as well. You may want to call a meeting in which you share plans and expectations for dealing with potential illness.

Encourage workers to get vaccinated if appropriate

Some people are more at risk of falling seriously ill from the H1N1 virus than others. The Centers for Disease Control has recommendations for vaccination posted on its website, and the government advises employers to encourage vulnerable groups to take time off of work to get vaccinated.

Provide educational resources

Help your employees stay healthy by providing them with informational materials on H1N1, including the best ways to prevent infection. Make sure you have resources that can be read and understood by all workers, regardless of language or disability.

Create a hygienic working environment

Be certain that you are providing basic hygiene necessities such as hand soap, tissues, sanitizer, and disposable towels for employee use.

Make your plan part of 'business as usual'

Although some question whether swine flu will really present a greater threat to America's small businesses this season than other forms of illness, others point out that companies should always have a plan in place regardless of the threat level.

On a recent conference call with reporters, SBA administrator Karen Mills emphasized that such plans will benefit firms in a number of ways.

"First of all, business owners, their employees, and their customers, really want to know that they have a plan, so this is something that's a great opportunity for planning for small business," she said, as quoted by CNSNews.com.

"I think we see this as just another opportunity for small business to do what is really part of good business practice," she added.