A Proactive Plan for Any Flu Season

A strong plan is essential for any business goal, but protecting employees, clients, the business & yourself is worthy of a well thought out & early implemented proactive design. Working in a very small business in the Midwest whose name is to remain confidential, we have been aware of the possibility of a flu pandemic for several years now. As there had not been one in the lifetimes of most who work here, we knew that it would eventually happen & being prepared was the best way to stay healthy and in business. We are a small e commerce company, shipping & receiving items from all over the world. We ship hundreds of packages per week & receive up to 25. We do not have walk in clients nor do we receive paper payments, so we are able to limit much of our exposure to the public.

Previous preparations:

Prior to the novel h1n1 pandemic confirmation in June 2009, our business already had a simple plan in effect. N95 NOISH face masks have been available in the First Aid area for over 2 years now. To prepare for our busy season during the fall, we always try to have extra inventory and necessary supplies in stock so if we have to halt incoming shipments for any reason, we have some leeway. We have a strict hand washing policy and since we are a small family owned business, this is honored by all. All incoming packages and returns are funneled into a warehouse room which doesn't house any offices. We have also always offered completely free flu shots to anyone who wanted one. We also do not encourage sick employees to come to work, send home those who appear too ill, have fever or flu like symptoms. We also make allowances for those who must provide care for ill children or relatives.

This year:

Beginning in April, we have kept an eye on the situation and monitored any outbreaks in the area. We have hand washing reminders posted and offer free antibacterial gel with at least 40% alcohol to all of our employees, especially those who leave the office throughout to day to bring packages to our couriers such as the post office. All incoming packages including returns are now sprayed with Lysol & allowed to air out before being brought inside. We do not require a doctors note from any employee who stays home with flu like symptoms.

Future plans:

We hope that this pandemic will not be as widespread or deadly as the 1918 Spanish Flu, but we are preparing for any possible outcome. We have created a business plan which will allow nearly all of our employees to work from home including our shipping department. Our shipping employees will be able to pack & process orders sent to them via email from inventory stored in their home. Instead of going out, they will simply have the Post Office & Fed Ex pick up packages directly from their home, so they will be able to remain in the safety of their home if a pandemic becomes more of a threat.　

What made the 1918 Flu pandemic so tragic was partly its extreme virulence in those aged 20-40, who normally are not killed by the flu. It affected so many people world wide that public health ordinances had to be enforced to limit the spread. Perhaps in 1918 it was possible to quarantine yourself for six weeks with a stockpile of food & not worry about bills, but we understand the reality facing most Americans today is that they cannot possibly miss that much work, even to prevent coming into contact with a mutated strain of novel H1N1. Our goal with our flu plan is to allow our business to continue to function, our employees to be able to continue earning paychecks regardless of any enforced or voluntary quarantine, and to prevent the spread of the flu to our employees or clients.

Obviously, we do not expect that this strain of the flu will be in any way as deadly as previous strains, but we feel our preparation is warranted regardless. There is nothing we can do about the existence of this flu or its worldwide spread, but we can take a proactive approach to our business & ensure that a world wide tragedy will not be compounded locally. If novel H1N1 were to mutate and become more deadly, at least our employees would not have to also worry about losing their homes or jobs, in addition to the tragedy of the flu itself. We are glad that we can offer them that much in an uncertain world.

Historical information about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic