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H1N1 Business Preparedness

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H1N1 Pandemic

How Businesses Can Prepare for Fall and Winter Outbreak

Featuring

Moderator: Greg David, Editorial Director, Crain’s New York Business

Panelists:Doug Ball, Director, Public Health Emergency Epidemiology Program, NYSDOH

Eileen Franko, Director, Bureau of Occupational Health, NYSDOH

Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, Coordinator H1N1 planning and response, NYCDOH

Case Studies presented by:Dr. Daria Luisi of Con Edison's Occupational Health Department

Emily Lloyd, Chief Operating Officer, Trinity Real Estate

Today’s Agenda

• What H1N1 flu is and why you should care

• What is being done in New York to contain it

• Why you should have a H1N1 plan for your business

• How to create a plan

• Managerial Do’s & Don’ts

• Case Studies

• Resources

• Respiratory infection caused by Influenza A virus 

• Mix of swine, avian and human flu viruses

• In June 2009, the World Health Organization declared swine flu a pandemic

• First pandemic in over 4 decades

Overview: What is H1N1?

• Both Fall and Winter

• Worst-case scenario: Half the U.S. population sick with H1N1 -- up to 90,000 deaths 

Potentially Brutal Flu Season

How bad is it in NYC?

• Up to a million people, or 10% of the population, were infected last spring.

• 55 deaths in NYC vs. 550 deaths nationwide

BUT…

• 36,000 Americans die from catching the regular flu each year

• Fever

• Lethargy

• Lack of appetite 

• Coughing 

What are the symptoms?

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

• Nausea

• Vomiting/Diarrhea

Same as normal seasonal flu: 

Usually clears up in about 3 to 5 days

• Through air when people cough or sneeze

• Touching contaminated surfaces, then mouth, nose or eyes 

How H1N1 spreads

Same as seasonal flu or cold

Children and young adults with pre-existing health conditions

People with lung disorders, such as asthma or emphysema

People with heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders 

Diabetics

People with weak immune systems due to illness or medication 

Pregnant women 

People on long-term aspirin therapy *About a third of people over

65 may be protected against swine flu

*About a third of people over 65 may be protected against

swine flu

High Risk Groups

What is being done in New York to contain H1N1

What is NYC doing?

• Free H1N1 flu vaccinations for all students (only given with parental consent)

• Weekend vaccine clinics 

• No plan to close schools with flu activity

New York City Schools

What is NYC doing?

New York City Response (cont)

• Vaccine available by mid-October at:

– 100 community health centers

– 60 hospitals

– Doctors' offices

– Immunization clinics

– Some pharmacies

Why should businesses have a pandemic plan?

• A pandemic can have a major effect on travel, trade, tourism, food supply, consumption and investments.

• Your supply chain and business partners may be disrupted this flu season.

Why should businesses have a pandemic plan? (cont.)

• More workers than usual will want to take off to care for sick kids and family members.

• Employers must weigh maintaining business operations against worker safety and privacy protections.

• Many workers show up on the job while ill

• In New York state, only workers at large companies are federally guaranteed unpaid time off

• About a million New Yorkers do not receive any paid time off

Why the concern?

How to create a plan

• Designate a workplace coordinator to reach out to the Health Department ASAP

• Designate a “go-to" person for sick employees to contact

• Make a list of essential employees and business functions

Employers should:

• Communicate the plan with employees

• Keep up-to-date phone tree for key employees and suppliers

• Be prepared for multiple courses of action: the CDC recommends at least two strategies in any plan

Employers should:

#1 Basic pandemic plan

• Allow sick workers to stay home and away from workplace 

• Clean, clean, clean:

– Encourage hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes with tissues

– Regularly clean commonly touched surfaces at work

– Try to provide extra tissues and hand sanitizer

• Prepare for:– Schools & day care facilities to close – More workers asking for time off to

care for sick relatives 

• Avoid:– Non-essential travel– Physical contact– Cancel all but the most crucial business

meetings

#2 Severe pandemic plan

• Stay home if sick

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds; or use sanitizer

• Don't touch mouth, nose or eyes

Prevention Tips for Workers

• Keep frequently touched surfaces clean (use disinfectant wipes)

• Don't use other workers' phones or computers

• Keep up a healthy lifestyle

Prevention Tips for Workers

Managerial Do’s & Don’ts

Do

• Remind workers not to come to work with flu-like symptoms

• Review sick leave policies with workers: employees shouldn't fear losing their jobs

• Provide tissues and stock plenty of soap and sanitizer 

• Post signs about covering coughs

• Look up your normal absenteeism rate during past flu seasons 

• Make contingency plans for how to run the business with high numbers of absences

Do

• Meet with legal and human resources to review work leave policies and privacy laws

• Or, check here: www.flu.gov/faq/workplace_questions

• Have a pandemic strategy checklist 

Do

• Add widget or button to company website so employees can know where to get more information

• Explore staggered shifts and consider when to allow people to work from home

• Double check emergency contact information for employees and suppliers 

Do

• Require a doctor's note as physicians may be inundated with patients

• Give out masks to workers to wear in the office -not necessary

• Stock prescription antiviral medicines on hand - most people recover without medicine anyway

Don’t

• Employees should not come back to work until they have been free from symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicines

• Wait for employee fear, anxiety, rumors, and misinformation to act

Don’t

• Make employees get tested for H1N1 flu

• Go wild cleaning things like carpets and drapes

• Ban workers from coming in after traveling to areas with high H1N1 flu exposure

Don’t

Touchy Situations

• Anticipate tough decisions that may come up

• Double check with your lawyer and human resources before responding to tricky scenarios like these…

An Employee Gets Sick At Work

• Respect privacy. Don’t tell the office who the sick worker is

• Inform everyone of possible exposure to flu

Does Worker’s Comp Apply?

• Focus on prevention to avoid this situation

• If a worker does get infected while on the job, report it to your insurer and let them make the call

• For related information, go to http://www.workerscompinsider.com/archives/001042.html

• By law, you can ask broad questions that do not focus on someone's disability or medical condition 

• For an ADA Compliant Survey for predicting absenteeism, visit:

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/h1n1_flu.html 

Identifying High Risk Employees

• NY State has no protections for unpaid time off

• Federally protected unpaid “family” leave for workers at large companies under certain conditions

Paid Sick Leave

A Case Study:Con Edison

Dr. Daria Luisi of Con Edison's Occupational Health Department

A Case Study:Trinity Real Estate

Emily Lloyd, Chief Operating Officer, Trinity Real Estate

• New York City Department of Health website or call 311

• For stress: 24-hour phone line staffed by mental health professionals 

800-LIFENET (800-543-3638) 

• For New York state residents who live outside of New York City:

New York State H1N1 Hotline: 1-800-808-1987

Resources

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:http://pandemicflu.gov/professional/business/

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu

Resources (cont.)

• Small Business Preparation Guide:http://www.flu.gov/professional/business/smallbiz.html

• Statistics on virus' spread and vaccination info by zip code at:– www.nyc.gov/flu– Or call 311 (NYC residents) 

Resources (cont.)

• Wash hands frequently

• Limit physical contact with people who are sick

• Clean frequently touched surfaces

• Cover coughs and sneezes – but not with your hands

• Get vaccinated, if at risk

Top 5 Prevention Tips for Your Employees

Q&A

Doug Ball, Director, Public Health Emergency Epidemiology Program, NYSDOH

Eileen Franko, Director, Bureau of Occupational Health, NYSDOH

Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, Coordinator H1N1 planning and response, NYCDOH