When H1N1 Hits: 8 Steps for HR to Create Plan B

Yesterday, we had two Fractals out sick. And with a small company, having two down is a pretty big deal. But we didn’t want to take any chances on spreading those germs, so when they said they were sick, we said, “Stay home.”

Big business or small, a rapid-spreading disease in the office is a risk you don’t want to take. It’s better to keep the healthy people healthy. The CDC anticipates unprecedented numbers of employee absences this year up to as much as 25 – 35 percent. If this happens at your company, will you be prepared?

Here’s an 8-step checklist to make sure you’ll still be able to take care of business. Plan A is working at work; Plan B is knowing what happens when H1N1 hits. When they start coughing, they’ll be looking to HR for the answers. Besides these, what are you telling employees?

1. Keep your workplace clean. Place hand sanitizers and antiseptic wipes by common areas, like fax machines and break rooms, to reduce the spread of germs in your office.
2. Practice sanitary practices in the office. Wash your hands often, sneeze into your elbow, wipe down common areas…you know the drill. Just make sure you practice what you preach.
3. Tell your employees to stay home when they’re sick. They need to know they have the okay on taking a sick day. FYI: The CDC advises that everybody stays home for at least 24 hours after their fever breaks.
4. Identify the core functions of your business. If absenteeism reaches 25-35 percent, what needs to be done at work and what can be put on hold? Figure this out now so you’re ready.
5. Cross-train your employees. If your only payroll person is out sick for a week, somebody else will need to take over temporarily. Cover all your bases while everybody is well.
6. Have a plan for working remotely. If H1N1 becomes a widespread pandemic, the CDC said to anticipate “social distancing,” which may occur through school public transportation closures. Employees need to know how to access any internal servers or e-mail, maintain regular communications, and conduct business from home.
7. Know what’s going on in the community. Know where local doctors and hospitals are located and pay attention to news about school, transportation, or business closures. Determine how shutdowns would affect your business.
8. Keep up to date with local and national preparedness strategies. Get in the habit of regularly your local and national government-sponsored updates. Share this information with your employees.

Editor’s note: Say hello to Bethany. As iFractal’s newest addition, here’s what we can tell you about her: She’s a really talented writer who has a degree in journalism from Northwestern, an obsession with candy hearts, and a cat that drinks water out of sinks. We call her Agent 94. You’ll have to ask her why.

About the Author

Bethany Marzewski

Bethany has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, where she learned how to apply her writing and visual communication approach in writing and social media ideas at IFRACTAL.

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