According to CNNMoney, “Currently, 48% of the U.S. private-sector workforce can't take paid leave without advance notice, according to the National Partnership.” With a wave of H1N1 flu sweeping through many workplaces, this may pose problems. The New York Times reports,  “Flu caused by the H1N1 virus is now widespread in 41 states, and flulike illnesses account for 6.1 percent of all doctor visits.” Further complicating the situation is “The proportions of workers without paid leave are higher in lower-wage industries, including food service, nursing care, and retail workers," says the Public Radio International and Takeaway.

So, if, as many health experts suggest, one of the best defenses is to limit human-to-human contact to halt the spread of the disease, what are the implications for workplaces? We have all seen it happen, the employee who refuses to miss a day of work, even when ill. Before you know it, the whole office has the same symptoms. Contagious illnesses spread quickly in close environments. This can be even more detrimental in environments where employees have a high level of interaction with the public.

Many things can be done to halt the spread at work. Two excellent documents that outline these preventative measures are the Preparing workplaces for H1N1 Influenza  and Preparing for the Flu (Including 2009 H1N1 Flu). Suggested measures include:

-alternative work arrangements
-flexible shifts
-thorough cleaning
-sneeze etiquette
-increased availability of hand sanitizers
-limited use of shared tools such as phones
-re-structured work space to limit contact

According to RJF, "Employers can mitigate this by developing policies and a
culture that encourage sick workers to stay at home without fear of reprisal.” But what about when employees have no sick time?

The RJF document suggests some alternatives:
“Have the employee make up the time when they return to work,
Request that the employee work from home,
Require the employee to use their personal days or other available paid time off,
Provide additional sick days to employees company-wide."

What strategies does your workplace plan to put in place?

References:
deMause, Neil. “Swine flu -- and no paid sick leave.” CNNMoney.com [http://money.cnn.com]. October 4, 2009.

Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Preparing for the Flu (Including 2009 H1N1 Flu). [www.flu.gov]. 2009.

Grady, Denise. “Officials See a Shortage in Vaccine for Swine Flu.” The New York Times [www.nytimes.com]. October 16, 2009.

Public Radio International and WNYC's The Takeaway. Worker productivity up, along with wage violations. [www.pri.org]. September 9, 2009.

RJF Agencies Inc. Preparing workplaces for H1N1 Influenza. Minneapolis, MN: RJF Agencies Inc., September 2009.