Swine flu fears boosts sick leave concerns

Sick leave

The recession makes it tough enough, but when not going to work means not getting paid, the potential impact of the ongoing swine flu pandemic has sparked fear across America.

What's more, with flu season now gaining momentum, concerns that swine flu could engulf the nation are growing. And, while public health officials are  pleading with the ill to stay at home, for millions of Americans, the fact is that not going to work means that they don't get paid.

As such, unimaginable numbers of carpenters, day care workers, servers, shopkeepers and small-business owners continue to go to put in the hours - regardless of their health.

The fact is, for many, staying in bed to recover just isn't an option. After all, the effects of the recession already make it tough for workers to make ends meet - without factoring in a nasty bout of the flu.

Concerns over not having the cash to put food on the table or pay rent is resulting in more and more Americans in downing supplements of Vitamin C, going out of their way to consume immune system-boosting foods and avoiding friends with the a cold or cough.

Its a tough reality, as employers across the country start to make contingency plans for what is expected to be a hard-hitting flu season.

Advice

Experts, however, worry that contingency plans won't be enough - particularly for small businesses.

According to advice from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for instance, companies should move desks further apart where possible and create more shifts to have fewer members of staff on duty at any one time.
 
But, that advice isn't much use for some businesses - particularly smaller companies or businesses in the services industry, where sick leave is almost unheard of or too costly for owners to afford.

And while companies try to alleviate the problem by looking to cross-train employees to fill absenteeism gaps and relax sick leave policies that usually require doctors' notes, businesses are suffering.

The US Department of Labor, for instance, says that about a third of America's workers don't have paid sick leave, and of those that do, many avoid using it out of fear of the repercussions it could stir-up upon a return to work.

So what's the solution? In short, there isn't one. Only by riding out the flu season can we expect to see answers.

In the interim, however, HR needs to be open to prospect that a significant portion of the workforce could get ill; and workers themselves need to be conscious of their own and their colleagues' health.

And, as public health officials suggest, please, get a flu shot.

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