CDC Guidance for Employers Regarding Influenza Season
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new guidance that recommends actions that non-healthcare employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity during the 2009-2010 flu season. The guidance includes additional strategies to use if flu conditions become more severe and some new recommendations regarding when a worker who is ill with influenza may return to work. This guidance may change as additional information about the severity of the 2009-2010 influenza season and the impact of 2009 H1N1 influenza become known. The Administration on Aging encourages our national aging services network to have individual business operating plans for addressing the challenges that could accompany the upcoming flu season. Among the recommendations from the CDC guidance are the following: Be prepared to implement multiple measures to protect workers and ensure business continuity. Identify essential business functions, essential jobs or roles, and critical elements within your supply chains (e.g., raw materials, suppliers, subcontractor services/products, and logistics) required to maintain business operations. Plan for how your business will operate if there is increasing absenteeism or these supply chains are interrupted. Explore whether you can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), when possible, to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees and others if local public health authorities recommend the use of social distancing strategies. Ensure that you have the information technology and infrastructure needed to support multiple workers who may be able to work from home. Work closely with your local health officials to identify authorities, triggers, and procedures for activating and terminating the company's response plan, altering business operations (e.g., possibly changing or closing operations in affected areas), and transferring business knowledge to key employees. Please check www.flu.gov periodically for updated guidance. To read the workplace planning guidance, please visit:
http://www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/guidance.html
| Last Modified: 8/24/2009 11:25:01 AM |
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