Swine Flu Protection for your Business

The Swine Flu H5N1 virus symptoms to humans have the potential to cause considerably more deaths; the pandemic is also a deadly threat to your business.

In the last two weeks a lot of my customers have had some cases of Swine Flu, 10% of them to be exact.  Some of these businesses have production lines, if the virus spreads through the workforce it could stop the output of products, and in these fragile economic times this seriously damages cash flow; it even has the potential to turn a Company insolvent.

The History of the Flu

The World Health Organisation has been expecting a serious flu pandemic for over 30 years.  The initial prediction was that 10% of the UK population alone would die from the illness if it mutated with the seasonal winter flu to create a ‘Super Flu’.  Fortunately however Swine Flu will have peaked in August so this prediction looks less likely.  It also appears that in most cases it is people with an underlying health issue who are more at risk.

The Steps you can take to protect your Business

The Swine Flu crisis is expected to take a massive toll on the worldwide already battered economy if it spreads as now predicted.

If you are an employer you have a duty to protect your employees.  You must also now make it a prioity to protect your business, so here’s the Rat Race Winner’s advice on how to protect both your business and your employees.

1. Do not panic!  With good planning your turnover should be reasonably unaffected.
2. Consider allowing some key staff members to work from home.  If they need access to their works PC’s try GoToMyPC.com which is a fast, easy and secure way to access any PC from any Web browser in real time.
3. Look into online collaboration software, Google docs is a good place to start; it’s free and very functional.
4. If you are a business to business type Company ban all unnecessary meetings with representatives from other companies.
5. If you are a public orientated Company, provide your staff with antibacterial hand wash and make sure they wash their hands regularly.  Place plenty of boxes of tissues throughout your shop or retail unit.
6. Supply all employees with antibacterial wipes and make sure all surfaces including kettles, door handles, microwaves, keyboards and mice are wiped regularly.  The office needs to be treated like a hospital; cleanliness needs to be a high priority and anything which is communal needs to be disinfected.
7. Make sure all staff notifies you if they start with symptoms, as soon as they tell you send them home immediately, and to stay there until they are 100% recovered.
8. Be weary of employees stating they will not be coming in to work because a colleague is showing symptoms. This is unacceptable and you are well within your right to record this absence as unauthorised and then take appropriate action.
9. Look at reducing staffing levels and use a rotation system.
10. If the only employee in your business is yourself, if you see someone with symptoms, be blunt and explain that you can not afford to catch the flu, end the conversation, walk away and if you shook hands wash them quickly.
11. DO NOT buy Tamiflu off the Internet.  Best case scenario you actually get legitimate medication, worse case you end up with tablets made from rat poison.  In the UK alone the National Health Service have enough stock of Tamiflu for 50% of the population.
12. Make sure both you and your staff are stocked up on flu remedies and paracetamol and that you have a thermometer and plenty of hygienic gel.

Fortunately Swine Flu is still unlikely to be fatal.  So far, less than 0.5% of cases have resulted in death. A worst case scenario for the majority of people is feeling very unwell for around five days and having to stay at home and watch daytime television!

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• Swine Flu Symptoms – A Personal Experience