The Small Business Administration says small companies employ just over half of all non-farm workers. Anything that prevents them from getting the work does is a major concern. In this economy, that is even more true.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has written a free  guide for small businesses,  “It Is Not Flu As Usual: An H1N1 Business Preparedness Guide” to assist management with pandemic planning.

Small businesses also can get information for businesses and the pandemic on Flu.gov, the U.S. government’s one-stop website for pandemic flu information.

Reuters

“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday offered companies new guidelines for coping with the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, warning that employers could face crippling absenteeism as the U.S. flu season takes hold.

“In the 16-page volume titled, “It’s Not Flu as Usual: An H1N1 Business Preparedness Guide,” the largest American business federation presented scenarios in which more than 10 percent of staff are too sick to come to work on any given day over the course of several months to a year.

“Absenteeism will be the central issue that businesses wrestle with during this pandemic,” said Ann Beauchesne, who leads the chamber’s national security and emergency preparedness program.

“The chamber acknowledged that influenza rates and absenteeism are difficult to predict but said business owners and corporate executives need to be aware of how bad the situation could become.”

Source: Small Business Administration Data

Source: U. S. Chamber of Commerce Report, “It Is Not Flu As Usual: An H1N1 Business Preparedness Guide”

Source: Flu.gov

Source: Reuters, September 21, 2009