On August 19, three Cabinet secretaries held a joint press conference to urge employers to get ready for the upcoming flu season. “One of the most important things that employers can do is to make sure their human resources and leave policies are flexible and follow public health guidance,” said Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services.
This is not a garden-variety flu season. H1N1 flu (also known as “swine flu”) has been declared the first official pandemic in 41 years, and World Health Organization statistics show a continual increase in the number of H1N1 cases rather than the leveling off that was initially expected. Plus, flu season is right around the corner, which creates an additional reason for concern. Now is not a time for panic – but it is a time for preparation.
Have you considered how you could continue to fill customer orders if a significant portion of your workforce was out sick, or caring for sick family members? Do you have educational efforts in place to help contain the spread of disease? Do your leave policies encourage workers to self-quarantine rather than come to work and possibly infect others?
Order this can't-miss webinar recording in the calm before the storm. Our experts – a former OSHA head and member of the White House Committee for Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness, as well as a workplace catastrophe expert – will explain the science behind swine flu, how a pandemic could affect your workplace, and the steps you must take now to prepare for it. At the conclusion of the webinar, you’ll have the opportunity to submit your specific questions directly to our experts via phone or electronically.
You and your colleagues will learn:
- How to separate the swine flu hype from the science and focus on what you should really be concerned about
- The signs and symptoms of swine flu, and how they differ from seasonal flu
- How a flu pandemic could affect the United States - and your workforce
- The policies and plans you need in place now
- How to put together a comprehensive pandemic response policy
- The best ways to prepare your company and employees for a global disease outbreak
This webinar was recorded on Tuesday, September 1, 2009
About Your Speakers:
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Esq., is a partner in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP. Foulke works with the firm’s Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management Practice Group. Before joining Fisher & Phillips, Foulke was the assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health. Named by President George W. Bush to head OSHA, he served from April 2006 to November 2008. During his tenure at OSHA, he also served on the White House Committee for Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness. Additionally, workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities rates dropped to their lowest level in recorded history.
Foulke has worked in the labor and employment area, specializing in occupational safety and health issues, and served on the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in Washington, DC, chairing the Commission from March 1990 to February 1994.
Howard Mavity, Esq., is a partner with the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP. Mavity coordinates the firm’s Occupational Safety and Health Practice and Catastrophe Response. He also responds to virtually every type of day-to-day workplace inquiry, and has handled cases before the EEOC, OFCCP, and numerous other state and federal agencies. He frequently speaks to business associations, bar groups, and professional groups, and lectures and conducts training for numerous private and governmental employers. He has been selected as a “Georgia Super Lawyer, Labor and Employment” every year since 2004.
Approved for Recertification Credit
This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.
