Life Meets Work Blog

As children head back to school, swine flu discussion is resurfacing. Apparently the flu did not subside during the summer months, as expected, but continued to proliferate—in places like children’s summer camps and sports teams.

The Associated Press reports that schools are gearing up to become vaccination headquarters, while other media outlets are advising parents on warning signs and treatment advice.

Guidance from the CDC says sick children should be allowed to return to school 24 hours after the fever is gone. However, symptomatic children should be removed from others immediately.

And in Phoenix, Arizona, public health officials are teaming up with local transit leaders to provide a series of employer-focused webinars on telecommuting.

The goal: teach businesses how to successfully implement telecommuting programs so that employees can stay home when they or their children are sick.

The four part series covers issues such as legal concerns, training and expectations, home office environments, and evaluation.

Organizers are encouraging employers to begin preparing now. “In most cases, telework doesn’t happen overnight,” says one transit official.

Promotion on the webinar registration page highlights multiple benefits to employers, employees and the community at large…

“At Valley Metro, we strive to assist employers with choosing the most effective trip reduction alternatives for their employees. Telework is one option that has proven to be successful at companies of all sizes and industries.”

And keeping sick riders off the bus doesn’t hurt either.

Posted by Jaime Leick

Twenty-one Milwaukee schools and one daycare center are closed this week as school officials react to growing cases of the H1N1 flu (aka swine flu) in the city.  Houston is also facing multiple school closures.

The closures obviously put a burden on families. With officials asking students not to congregate outside of school, one wonders how many parents are throwing caution to the wind and arranging childcare pools this week.

I’ll watch Evan, Susie, Lisa and Sam on Monday if you can take them Tuesday…and so on.

Are the area’s business offices prepared to operate during wide-spread school closures? Again, telecommuting offers one logical response, keeping many business offices operational as schools close and as employee themselves begin to present symptoms.

U.S. business went through a surge in disaster planning following the SARS outbreak in 2003. This recent outbreak is a chance for some companies to test those plans, and a reminder for others to develop contingency strategies.

Disaster planning is certainly not limited to flu pandemics. Telework tools help maintain productivity in the face of snowstorms, floods and other natural disasters.

Posted by Jaime

The U.S. declared a public health emergency over Swine Flu yesterday. In New York, where more than 100 school children are likely infected (following a recent trip to Mexico), Mayor Michael Bloomberg told citizens to stay home if they feel even slightly symptomatic.

Stay home if you feel sick – it’s not really meant as “take care of yourself and get well” kind of advice. It’s a serious mandate meant to prevent a flu pandemic.

As a nation, we’re not accustomed to staying home for a measly sore throat. So what does that mean in the face of a potential swine flu pandemic?  How will we maintain productivity and essential services when a few achy muscles are supposed to keep us away from the office?

Flu outbreaks don’t have to be disabling if companies are set up to telework. The federal government has long incorporated teleworking in its business continuity plans:

“By helping support a distributed workforce, telework is a tool for emergency planning at all levels - from snowstorms that close offices in a region for a day or two, to pandemic influenza that may affect operations over the course of weeks or even months.” (Source: telework.gov)

Even in the face of a global flu pandemic, business CAN continue if your employees are equipped to log-in remotely.  To be successful, your company should have a telework program with as many staffers as possible equipped to work from home. The best way to test your system is to use it as a routine course of business, to ensure all tools are operational.

Get more tips to prepare your business for a flu pandemic from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at telework.gov.  Tailored workplace flexibility plans are also available from Life Meets Work.

Posted by Jaime