Have you got a plan so everyone knows how to share work in case someone in your team has swine flu? There is no point in wishing flu misery on your staff for the sake of a little planning and anyway it could cost you a packet if you find the office half empty. Forewarned is forearmed, and that's especially true when it comes to swine flu.
We have also put together a checklist of essential supplies, so see what you may be missing.
Management made easy
- Have you made arrangements so that staff can work from home via PC and broadband in case they fall sick?
- If people in the office keep clear notes on jobs to be done, this will enable someone else to take over easily.
- Set up a “friend in need” plan – so each person in the office can help someone who lives near them, or collect medicine for them and drop it off (or push some bread and cheese through their letterbox in case they have no food in).
- This is most important if you have young, single staff who may easily feel isolated, and not have the experience of coping with a bout of illness, or they may be far from home. It only takes a phone call. But don’t assume someone else has made the call.
- You may have colleagues with a chronic condition such as asthma or other “at-risk” groups. If swine flu begins to threaten, then better to have planned they work from home well in advance rather than leaving it till they are running a temperature. Simple steps early will avoid crises and panics.
- Tell your cleaning company they must inform you if any of their staff have got or just had the flu.
- Same applies to any delivery or collection companies you use.
Essential supplies:
Tell us about what you've been doing, or if you have had any clever ideas on improving office routine to deal with swine flu?
