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Information for Employers

Stay Informed

The situation is continually evolving, so visit www.slvhealth.org/h1n1 or sign up for our H1N1 Email Alerts for the latest information. Additional information can be found via our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Planning Ahead for Influenza Season

CDC has revised its recommendations to assist businesses and other employers of all sizes.

• Review or establish a flexible influenza pandemic plan. Share your influenza pandemic plan with employees. Keep employees involved in the process.
• Discuss the plan with others and look for gaps or problems that need to be corrected before flu season.
• Understand your organization’s normal seasonal absenteeism rates.  Watch for usual increases in absenteeism through influenza season.
•  Share with employees what human resources policies will be available to them in the event of an H1N1 outbreak.  Ex: leave flexibilities, pay and benefits.
• Review your continuity of operations plan and revise it to reflect any changes in your organization.

For more information about planning ahead visit:

www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/guidance.html
www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/businesschecklist.html

Educate Your Employees

The steps people should take to avoid getting the H1N1 virus are the same as with the seasonal flu. Make sure your employees know the steps:

• First and most important: wash your hands often with soap and warm water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand washing posters are available in our H1N1 Toolkit.
• Try not to touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

The steps to keep from spreading this virus are also the same as with seasonal influenza. Make sure your employees know these steps also:

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Cough into your elbow (sleeve) if you don't have a tissue readily available. Cough etiquette posters are available in our H1N1 Toolkit.
• Wash your hands often.
• Regularly clean surfaces and items that have frequent hand contact. 
• Encourage employees to get vaccinated.
• Take measures to protect employees who are at higher risk for complications of influenza. Ex: pregnancy and chronic medical conditions 
• Prepare for increased numbers of employee absences due to illness of both employees and their family members. Plan ways for essential business functions to continue.
• Advise employees before traveling to take necessary precautions.
• Prepare for the possibility of school dismissal or temporary closure of child care programs.
  
• Encourage employees to stay home if they are sick. This is important! If ill employees show up to work, they are exposing their co-workers to H1N1 infection. Sick employees at work should be advised to go home.

Note: It is not recommended that employers require employees to obtain a doctor's note and/or confirmation of H1N1 infection. Health care providers are no longer testing for H1N1 (only influenza) and most influenza infection can be recovered from without treatment or medical attention.

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.

Educational posters, flyers and other documents in multiple languages are available in our H1N1 Toolkit.

Give Your Employees the Tools They Need

• Provide hand sanitizer in public areas.
• 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.

Preparedness Podcast

Listen to this CDC podcast (6:37) for important information to keep your employees safe and your business running.

Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers (2 MB)

• Question & Answers
• Quick Reference for Business 2009 H1N1 Flu Planning and Response
• Fact Sheet for Employers - Action Steps to Keep Your Business & Employees Healthy (136 KB)
• Fact Sheet for Employees - 8 Ways You Can Keep Yourself Healthy (236 KB)
• 3 Template Emails (or Letters) for Businesses to Send to Employees

- Flu Season is Starting. Get Ready Now! (DOC - 40.5 KB)

- If You Are Not Feeling Well. . . (DOC - 35 KB)

- Staying Healthy. . . (DOC - 39.5 KB)

• Text Messages for Businesses to Share with Employees (123 KB)
• Additional Communication Resources
• Additional Web Resources for Planning

H1N1 Toolkit - posters, flyers and additional educational materials.