The US-American Department of Labor and three other federal agencies announced
new guidance for employers to plan and respond to the upcoming flu season. The
guidance, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides
employers with help on preparing now for the impact that seasonal and 2009 H1N1
influenza could have on their workers and operations during the fall and
winter.

• Plans should include encouraging workers with flu-like symptoms to stay home,
  allowing highly-susceptible staff to work from home and encouraging workers to
  get flu vaccinations.


• Employers' plans should address such points as encouraging employees with
  flu-like symptoms or illness to stay home, operating with reduced staffing, and
  possibly having employees who are at higher risk of serious medical
  complications from infection work from home.


• Employers should review sick leave policies and ensure employees understand
  them, according to the guidance. Employers should try to make sick leave
  policies flexible for workers who may have to stay home with ill family members
  or if a child's school is closed.


• Employers should consider offering vaccine against seasonal flu, and
  encourage employees to be vaccinated against seasonal and H1N1 flu.


• Employers also might cancel non-essential face-to-face meetings and travel,
  and space employees farther apart.

More info

AplusA-online.de - Source: U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration