Businesses Not Doing Enough to Stop H1N1 Spread

Congress Stepping In?

In a move designed to reduce spread of H1N1, a House Democrat is urging Congress to protect workers if they contract H1N1 by directing employers to pay for their sick leave.

George Miller (D., California) is saying his bill will not only protect workers who have H1N1, but would help prevent its spread in the workplace and the community. "Many (workers) are either afraid or cannot afford to take time off, especially if they don't have access to paid sick leave," Miller says.

Public health officials have been urging people who have contracted H1N1 to stay at home for 24 hours after a fever has disappeared. Yet, in today’s economic environment , according to a study released last year, the majority of employees don’t want to risk losing their job by being out of the office for a period of time. Especially without pay when finances are tight. The survey, released by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago determined that 68 percent of workers who were not eligible for paid sick days said they had gone to work anyway with a contagious illness like the flu.

“For every one person going to work with H1N1, our models are showing that up to three other people may contract the virus”, says Evan Koch of the Preparis X-force. “By one sick person staying at home, the benefits in productivity and reduced absenteeism may far outweigh paying one person for sick leave.”

The U.S. Bureau of Statistics states that 39% of workers do not have paid sick leave. While a sick leave reimbursement program would benefit the sick employees, and potentially reduce the spread of H1N1, it could further strain businesses who are already struggling to make their way out of the recession. If passed, the bill proposed by Miller could lengthen the recession and prolong the economic recovery.

A recent study by Harvard University estimates that 2/3 of businesses are not prepared for H1N1. “The best course of action every business should take is to have a structured pandemic preparedness program to prevent the spread of H1N1”, says Koch.

Preparis will continue to monitor this important development and will provide future updates.