The LA Times reports that California H1N1 flu cases are surging across California amid vaccine shortages. Imagine the havoc the outbreak is having on businesses across the Golden State. Here are some tips for emloyers.
According to a recent Mansfield Communication survey:
- Over 90% of fellow employees do not want you to come to work with any H1N1 flu symptoms
- And if you do go into work showing symptoms, chances are (83%) a colleague will likely report you to a superior.
So if you got the sniffles stay home. If you are at work, WASH YOUR HANDS.
More importantly, employers need to communicate clearly with their employees!
“As the number of people infected with H1N1 continues to grow, parallel fear escalates and the potential for mob mentality begins to take shape,” said Rob Ireland, partner at Mansfield Communications Inc. “By having clear and definitive H1N1 policies & procedures in place and by becoming a trusted source of related information, leading companies can truly take care of their greatest asset – their employees.”
According to a survey conducted last month by Mansfield Communications, 69 per cent of workers said they had received no communication about policies in the workplace pertaining to H1N1. The poll also found that a large majority (84%) of American workers believe the recession creates more pressure to show up for work— even if they are feeling sick.
The survey, commissioned by Mansfield Communications Inc., interviewed 2,029 Americans with a subset of 1,232 full time and part time working Americans from October 5thth 2009 thru October 11th, 2009. It was intended to continue to gauge the readiness of workers and their employers for the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic. The margin of error is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
Approximately half (47%) of the respondents said that they would still engage in public activities (such as riding the bus, picking up a prescription or grocery shopping) even when they were infected with H1N1 and required to stay home from their office due to a company-imposed quarantine.