Workforce Swine Flu Pandemic Survival Preparedness Tips For Business

DALLAS, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Employers should encourage employees and
their families to take the following steps:

-- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep
your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
-- Stay home when you are sick to help prevent others from catching your
illness. Cover your mouth and nose.
-- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It
may prevent those around you from getting sick.
-- Clean your hands to protect yourself from germs.
-- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
-- Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is
contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or
mouth.
-- Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically
active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious
food.

Employers also should be sensitive to workplace policies or practices that may
pressure employees with a contagious disease to report to work despite an
illness and consider whether the employer should adjust these policies
temporarily or permanently in light of the impending health risk. For
instance, financial pressures and the design and enforcement of policies
regarding working from home and/or qualifying for paid or unpaid time off
significantly impact the decisions employees make about whether to come to
work when first experiencing symptoms of illness.

If considering allowing or requiring employees to work from home, employers
need to implement appropriate safeguards to monitor and manage employee
performance, and to protect the employer's ability to comply with applicable
wage and hour, worker's compensation, safety, privacy and other legal and
operational requirements. Finally, employers should begin preparing backup
staffing and production strategies.

Employers also should be sensitive to workplace policies or practices that may
pressure employees with a contagious disease to report to work despite an
illness and consider whether the employer should adjust these policies
temporarily or permanently in light of the impending health risk. If
considering allowing or requiring employees to work from home, employers need
to implement safeguards to monitor employee performance, and protect the
employer's ability to comply with wage and hour, worker's compensation,
safety, privacy and other legal and operational requirements.

For more information, contact Cindy Stamer at 469-767-8872 or
cstamer@cttlegal.com

SOURCE Cindy Stamer

Cindy Stamer, +1-469-767-8872, cstamer@cttlegal.com