1. Set up good hygiene practices in the workplace.
Provide hand gel dispensers; boxes of tissues and lidded bins. Ensure regular cleaning of door handles, telephones, keyboards, etc. Tell employees that they need to comply with the increased hygiene measures.
2. Provide information.
Put up notices for staff and visitors about the need for good hygiene and to inform them of the additional hygiene measures. Provide information to staff about swine flu - this is readily available from the
NHS and from the
Directgov website (and is regularly updated).
3. Encourage employees to stay away from work at the first sign of flu symptoms.
4. Prepare contingency plans in the event of high absence levels.
Establish "skeleton staff" procedures. Prepare light-touch and flexible management structures and cover arrangements in case of high numbers of senior staff going off.
5. Remind employees of sickness notification procedures...
...and ensure they are enforced rigorously.
6. Consider cancelling employees' booked holiday if absence levels increase.
But minimum periods of notice would apply, and claims could be made by employees for holiday cancellation costs
7. Consider whether it is possible for some employees to work from home.
Whilst current official advice is that employees should continue to go to work when a family member is infected, some employers may prefer to try to keep them away, particularly if they have pregnant staff members who may be nervous of contracting swine flu
8. Encourage employees to notify management if they have regular contact with an infected individual.
Where possible, employers could arrange working practices/premises to avoid contact between those likely to contract swine flu (although this needs to be approached sensitively in order to avoid claims of victimisation/harassment).
9. Consult with employees before you have your first case of swine flu.
It is always easier and more effective to make plans and prepare for this sort of event in advance rather than fire fight when it hits. Discuss with staff the current advice and make it clear that only employees with symptoms of swine flu need stay away from work. Remind them of absence procedures (sickness absence, holiday booking, time off for dependants, etc). Seek their views over any particular concerns. If employees are still concerned, it may be possible to arrange working hours so that those who live with someone infected with swine flu do not work at the same time as others; or provision of face masks could be considered (as is the official advice currently in Australia and New Zealand in relation to pregnant women!)
10. Carry out risk assessments for pregnant employees.
Current advice is that pregnant employees should continue to go to work, so it is unlikely that an employer would need to suspend a pregnant employee on medical grounds, even if she has a colleague who lives with someone infected with swine flu. But the employer should look at each case on its own merits and keep in touch with official advice in case of any change.
Contact me if you would like to discuss these issues further 
