Swine flu

The number of people off work because of coughs, colds and flu is three-times higher than normal for the time of year, intensifying fears that businesses will struggle to cope with a full-blown swine flu pandemic. Are you prepared and have contingency plans in place in case swine flu breaks out in your office?

Do you need some advice on employment law? Our legal support helpline may be able to assist, check the quick links on the right.

What are the symptoms?

The most significant symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, cough or shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include: headache, tiredness, chills, aching muscles, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and loss of appetite.

The incubation period (time between contact with the virus and the onset of symptoms), is from one to four days, though for most people it will be two to three days.

What should I be doing about workplace hygiene?

You may wish to consider providing the following and encouraging their usage:

Antiseptic hand gel dispensers for each member of staff or in key locations such as the kitchen and/or reception areas. Soap and water is perfectly effective but these dispensers may be more convenient.
Tissues (these should be used once and disposed of promptly).
Antiseptic wipes to keep all common work areas germ-free including telephones, keyboards, door handles and work surfaces.

Further information can be found on the Business Link website: www.businesslink.gov.uk

What are my employment law responsibilities?

In terms of employment law, your organisation’s ordinary sickness policy will apply. Where schools are closed, staff may be entitled to time off work for dependents - an employee is legally entitled to take ‘reasonable’ amount of time off work to deal with emergencies involving a dependent. More information on employment law is available from the BVRLA’s legal helpline, more details of which can be found by clicking on business and legal support in the quick links section.

If you are worried that an employee is endangering the health of other employees or customers, you might want to ask them to stay away from the workplace.

What plans should I put in place in case swine flu breaks out in one of our offices or branches?

Leading business continuity experts say the most important thing for a companies’ health is making plans to cope with absent workers, including boosting remote working, expanding customers’ self-service options and identifying essential functions and individuals. A few key points for consideration are:

Identify the basic requirements of the business and any critical activities that must be maintained.
Create a list of the transferable skills of each employee and consider who could be retrained or redeployed in the event of staff absence.
Carry out any required training which could be as simple as one staff member showing another how to do a particular element of their job.
Ensure IT systems can cope with high numbers of employees working from home.
Encourage methods of communication that reduce face-to-face contact.
Ask your suppliers about what plans they have in place to cope with reduced staff numbers.

LeasePlan have kindly agreed to share their pandemic flu response chart with members which can be downloaded from the link below and provides detailed advice and planning depending on the severity of the situation in your office or branch. The document can be accessed by clicking here.