Swine Flu at Work

Swine Flu Highlights Lack of Sick Days in the US

2009-11-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

Did you know that up to 84% of employees in the United States feel pressured to go to work when they are sick*?

That 69% of US employees have not been offered employer sponsored vaccines or other preventative care*?

Last year, the Public Welfare Foundation conducted a survey that found 1 in 6 employees had been disciplined, fired, or otherwise penalized for being sick. And this was before the swine flu!

By the way, aside from chronic health conditions, the #1 reason why employees miss work is the flu. So a good portion of these statistics represent people with flu struggling to keep a job while also fighting a fever.

With the advent of the swine flu, corporate policies haven't improved. They've become even more draconian and punitive. Nurses are told they can't work if they are sick, but are also punished for taking sick leave. This kind of paradoxical sick leave policy is rampant in the work place. It abuses employees in the name of 'profit' and completely disregards data from studies showing employees who come to work sick cost companies money. A 2004 study from Emory University calculated the costs of employees who work while sick at $180 billion dollars a year. That's enough to bail out a couple of Wall Street banks!

Currently, Congress is actually contemplating laws to mandate paid sick leave for employers with more than 15 employees. The Healthy Families Act (S 1152/HR 2460)would provide for 7 paid sick days annually that employees could use to care for themselves or family members. For those of us in cushy cubicles who qualify for FMLA, this isn't much, but for 48% of the workforce this law is the only thing standing between them and unemployment. If you want to show your support for a federal sick leave policy, you can add your name to the Moms Rising paid sick leave petition or contact your representatives directly.

Psssst! Did you see the polls in the right sidebar over there? Take some time to vote! We want to know what's happening where you work and what you think.

*These statistics are from an Angus Reid Strategies survey.

Photo credit: geotrac via istockphoto

Swine Flu Mask Art

2009-11-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

If you had to wear a flu mask, would you decorate it to coordinate with your clothes/mood?

See how some people have elevated the flu mask to an art form at this link.

Swine Flu 'Jihog'

2009-11-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

Homeopathic Flu Vaccine - Does It Exist?

2009-11-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

Homeopathic medicine has been around for hundreds of years and people worldwide use homeopathy as part of a comprehensive traditional medicine regimen. The effectiveness of homeopathic medicine has been challenged by allopathic (medical) science in recent years. Medical doctors consider homeopathic medicine to be well and properly debunked. However, many people swear by it and consider the following...

1.The allopathic swine flu vaccination relies on a dead or weakened live virus in small concentration to create immunity.

2.Homeopathic medicine believes that 'like cures like' and also uses a small concentration of the same flu virus as flu shots to produce immunity.

They don't sound too different from each other do they?

The homeopathic flu vaccine is sold under the brand name Influenzinum and is produced using the same flu strain as found in traditional flu vaccinations. However, does it actually work? The evidence says yes. The National Center for Homeopathy shared results of a 10 year observational study conducted in France. In the study, use of Influenzinum prevented flu 90% of the time.

Influenzinum is affordable and available over-the-counter. It's administered a little differently than a flu shot and requires consistent use. Package directions should be followed closely for best results.

It may be worthwhile to add Influenzinum to the medicine cabinet especially since swine flu vaccinations continue to be in short supply. However, it's always a good idea to consult with your physician or a homeopathic doctor as to which choice is best for you; a flu shot or a homeopathic flu vaccine.

photo credit: ferrantraite via istockphoto

Dear Swine Flu at Work: What to do about the germ bandit?

2009-11-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Swine Flu at Work: I work in a large company in the Midwest and there's this director level jerk who is sick. They think it's funny to not cover their mouth when they cough. As in they actually snigger after they spray someone with germ laden spittle.

How do I handle this?

Grossed Out Co-Worker

Dear Grossed Out Co-Worker:

You are not alone. Beyond the fact that we've heard of other incidents similar to this one, we're sure some of your co-workers are just as annoyed as you are. Here are your options on a sliding scale:

Most Passive: Say 'Cover your mouth' when they cough and offer them a surgical mask (they're inexpensive and come in boxes kind of like Kleenex). Enlist as many people as you can in a covert campaign to say this as often as possible to the jerk director.

Print 'Cover your mouth' signs and post them in your office and see if you can get approval to post them in the hallways and bathrooms under the guise of a broad based Swine Flu prevention program. If your employer has a safety program, approach the safety director about covering Swine Flu prevention as a safety meeting topic.

Somewhat More Direct: Pull them aside and have a come-to-Jesus talk. Don't hold back because you don't want to have to do this again. Be strong, don't wimp out. "Please stop hacking all over the staff. We don't want to get sick and your lack of personal hygiene and consideration for others is upsetting to everyone that works with you."

Document this discussion with a follow-up email or arrange for someone to witness the conversation so you have proof you did try to deal with the problem on your own (this helps if you have to become even more aggressive about getting the message across).

Even more Direct: Report the person to their boss or Human Resources. Use important buzzwords like 'highly contagious' and direct your complaint to the bottom line, emphasizing how much it will hurt the company to have large numbers of staff wiped out by one thoughtless person. Ideally you will have tried some of the other solutions presented here before going up the food chain as this will strengthen your case that intervention is needed.

Also arm yourself with the CDC's (and other authorities') suggestions for fighting swine flu at work because it's hard to blow off experts.

In addition, point out that the company has a legal and ethical obligation to ensure a safe workplace and if an employee with a chronic illness were to get sick due to the jerk's behavior, that could be the basis for a legal complaint given that they've now been formally notified of the problem. Companies hate to leave themselves open to lawsuits so if nothing else motivates them, this should.

Good luck. Keep us posted on how it goes.

The Swine Flu at Work Team

P.S. If you do get swine flu from this jerk, please let us know. We will hook you up with some sweet revenge scenarios.

photo credit for this post: Jeanell Norvell via iStockphoto