Swine flu isn’t just hype. It’s a real problem. My company just had an episode. Here’s what I learned from the experience.

Swine Flu Strikes

Our ordeal began last Monday when a sales person, let’s call her Hillary, called in sick with the flu. Word spread across the office like wildfire. Co-workers frantically retraced their steps for their most recent contact with Hillary.

“Oh my goodness, I was at the same party as Hillary on Saturday.”

“Good lord, Hillary was in the restroom with me on Friday.”

And so it went.

Within about an hour, about 10 employees complained of sniffles, sore throats and other flu-like symptoms. The “able-bodied” asked to be excused for work as a precaution. By late afternoon, the office was all but deserted.

Several employees called in sick with the flu over the next few days. The entire editorial department was ill or working from home for precautionary reasons. The marketing department was down to two.

I’m not suggesting that anybody who called in sick was faking or playing hypochondriac. In fact, I know they really were flu-stricken. I’m just pointing out how quickly a single episode of flu can multiply before you even know what hit you.

The situation remained dicey throughout the week. But by Monday, most of the stricken were back to work. Just as importantly, panic among the able bodied had disappeared. We all breathed a sigh of relief and resumed normal business.

The Lesson

This experience taught me some things about swine flu that might help you deal with an outbreak at your own workplace. First and foremost, I learned that swine flu is just as much a psychological as a physical challenge. There are two critical things you need to do to respond effectively:

1. Get the sick person away from the workplace as soon as possible; and
2. Prevent panic among the able-bodied.

With all the media coverage, swine flu has become in the minds of many people the most virulent health menace since the Beubonic Plague. So when one employee comes down with the flu, co-workers will immediately — and to some degree, irrationally — fear for their own health.

To combat panic, keep your workers informed of the situation. Concealing the fact that an employee has the flu is bound to backfire when word inevitably gets out. Our HR director did a wonderful job of updating the workforce about the situation of Hillary and the other workers who got the flu.

It’s equally important to educate your workers before outbreaks occur. The more your employees understand about the flu and how it spreads, the less likely they are to panic when colleagues start coming down with the illness.

Get employees to keep the threat in perspective. Yes, swine flu does spread. But for most employees, it’s no more virulent than the seasonal flu. Although it’s no fun to get, people do recover from the illness pretty quickly and without lasting health damage.

Last but not least, make sure employees know how to protect themselves and stress the importance of hand washing and other hygiene measures.  

Conclusion

Doing all of these things should ensure that flu outbreaks remain minor and temporary inconveniences rather than crises that cripple your business.

Story Tools:  E-mail this to a friend  Print This Post Top