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Is Your Small Business Prepared for the H1N1 Influenza?
October 14, 2009
You’ve worked hard to build your small business. Are you prepared to protect it from the H1N1 influenza? In September, the Department of Homeland Security urged small businesses to come up with a plan that will allow them to operate when a number of their employees become infected with the H1N1 virus – so that their business operations will not be interrupted. Is your plan ready?
The Department of Homeland Security has created a preparedness guide to assist small businesses in planning for the H1N1 flu. Stated Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, “Small businesses play an essential role in our national effort to prepare for all disasters and emergencies – including the H1N1 flu. This guide will help America’s small businesses maintain continuity of operations and resiliency as the fall flu season approaches.”
Click here for the entire guide, which includes such advice as:
- Develop policies that encourage ill workers to stay at home without fear of any reprisals.
- Develop telework policies that allow workers to stay at home or care for sick family members
- Provide flu education and training materials to all employees
- Encourage workers to obtain a seasonal influenza vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available if they are in a priority group
- Plan to implement practices to minimize face-to-face contact between workers if advised by the local health department
- If an employee does become sick while at work, place them in a separate room or area away from other employees until they can go home (preferably as soon as possible). Encourage employees to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or wear a facemask if available and tolerable.
Office Depot has recognized the need for small businesses to be protected and developed the “Fight the Flu Kit”. I now have several of these kits for my own business. Each kit is only $7.99 and includes a face mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and facial tissues. They’re available online or at their retail locations and are a great way to help you prepare your small business for the upcoming flu season. You worked hard to get your business to where it is today…don’t let something happen to it because of the flu season!
~ Lisa Quast
Sources to help Small Businesses with preparedness:
Office Depot Disaster Preparedness Strategies for Small Businesses: http://www.officedepot.com/promo.do?file=/promo/disaster/main.jsp
Press Release from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1252958525673.shtm
Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Guide for Small Businesses: http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/smallbiz.html
Additional government information about the flu: www.flu.gov.
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November 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
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