Organizations Work to Promote Safety as Swine Flu (Correctly Named H1N1 Influenza A) Cases Rise

May 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Out of over 2.2 million employees, 86 percent are satisfied that they can perform their job without serious risk of injury or illness due to unsafe working conditions, according to HR Solutions’ National Normative Database.  Now, with the rise of what some say is likely to become a global pandemic, several organizations are actively working to maintain safe working conditions against the H1N1 Flu Virus.

“Obviously people are more acutely aware that the potential exists for a health hazard in the workplace,” said Kevin Sheridan, CEO of HR Solutions, Inc.  “Each manager also needs to be cognizant of that and be aware as they see or hear from employees that may be infected somehow.”

As for what leadership can do when an employee comes down with flu-like symptoms, Sheridan explained, “A manager should counsel the employee toward making sure he or she is getting prompt medical help and an immediate diagnosis.  Additionally, the potential threat should be reported to higher management, so that if any more drastic measures are needed to protect the remaining workforce, management is aware of it and empowered to do so.”

Sixty-six percent of survey respondents agree that the safety of employees at their organization is adequately protected by its present security system.  Certain organizations have added various preventative methods to their security systems, in efforts toward upholding their work environment’s typically well-perceived safety.

Some organizations have taken extreme approaches to protect employees from the H1N1 virus.  For example, one Chicago-based Japanese manufacturing company nearly implemented a screening station in their U.S. offices, whereby nurses would be at building entrances forcing employees to undergo a temperature reading and flu testing before they were allowed access inside.  

This organization’s strong response to the H1N1 spread may have been rooted in the fact that its Corporate, located in Tokyo, lived through the near-pandemic 2002/2003 SARS crisis.   However, the H1N1 virus response was overwhelming for many employees, and Human Resources eventually convinced Senior Leadership to back down.

Regardless of the approach taken, as organizations keep working to actively address the H1N1 virus, HR Solutions’ trends showing employees’ confidence in their safety at work can be expected to remain optimistic.

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About HR Solutions, Inc.: Noted for its comprehensive research and actionable data, HR Solutions, Inc. is an international Human Capital Management Consulting firm located in Chicago, IL, specializing in Employee Engagement and Exit Survey design, implementation, and results. For more information, please visit www.hrsolutionsinc.com, or call 312-863-6104.