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Swine flu: guidance and advice for employers and HR professionals

Swine flu is expected to hit employees and employers severely. The flu pandemic cannot be contained, so the focus for everyone – especially employers and HR professionals – must be on managing the outbreak.

It is thought that the full impact of the swine flu outbreak is unlikely to be felt in the UK until the autumn, when cases of flu increase naturally. Many organisations believe that in a worst-case scenario, up to 75% of the workforce could be absent at the peak of a severe pandemic.

The issues for employers and HR are many and concerning, but there is much that employers can do to prepare for the swine flu pandemic.

Swine flu - top tips on planning for and coping with a flu pandemic

1. Put contingency plans in place now

The main difficulty facing businesses is that there are likely to be high levels of staff absence for a variety of reasons, including illness, caring for others, or travel bans/restrictions.

2. Review and update your policies

Employers should review and update employment policies and procedures which may be affected and monitor any changes to official advice.

3. Put in place measures to protect the health and safety of your employees

Employers are under a duty to take reasonable steps which are necessary to ensure the safety of their employees and not subject them to unnecessary risks of injury/illness.

4. Plan for and manage absence effectively

Dealing with high levels of staff absence, combined with health and safety obligations, means employers should try to reduce or prevent the spread of infection in the workplace.

5. Ensure good communication with staff

Effective communication between management and staff about what the business is doing to prepare and why, as well as providing training and raising awareness, is very important.

 

Latest advice

If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned that you may have swine flu:

 

• Stay at home and check your symptoms at the National Pandemic Flu Service
• You should call your GP directly if:
• you have a serious underlying illness
• you are pregnant
• you have a sick child under one year old
• your condition suddenly gets much worse
• your condition is still getting worse after seven days (five for a child)

 

Note: The National Pandemic Flu Service is a new online service that will assess your symptoms and, if required, provide an authorisation number that can be used to collect antiviral medication from a local collection point. For those who do not have internet access, the same service can be accessed by telephone on:

Telephone: 0800 1 513 100

Minicom: 0800 1 513 200

Latest figures

There were an estimated 100,000 new cases of swine flu in the UK in the week ending July 19. Total deaths stand at 31. More than 800 people with swine flu have died worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic.

Reduce the risk of catching or spreading flu

 

• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use a tissue.
• Dispose of used tissues carefully.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. kitchen worktops, door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.