July 2009

Pandemic Protection

You can't read a newspaper, turn on TV, radio, or the Internet, even get on Twitter, without being barraged with information — and scare tactics — about swine flu. But how can swine flu affect you and your employer (and therefore your family)?

It's wise to take precautions. Of course, follow advice that's being given to everyone — wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough, try to avoid touching your face or mouth. But here's a swine flu guide specifically for business, depending on the type of business you're in.

Hospitality industry: restaurants, bars, hotels, travel. You come in contact with lots of people, many frequent travellers. At any time, these are the most likely to be carriers of illnesses. Be particularly fastidious about washing your hands and getting your employees to wash theirs. Take hand-washing breaks at least a few times an hour. (You need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with hot water and soap.) Consider distributing hand sanitizing packets to customers at your place of business. Frankly, try to avoid shaking hands whenever it doesn't seem rude.

Personal service businesses, such as hairdressers, housecleaning services, child-care businesses. You come in very close contact with people who may be ill; visualize standing over someone at a sink while washing her hair. In some cases, it may be useful to wear a face mask. Get a box of disposable gloves and wear them. If you work with children, take extra precautions now. Every day, wash desks, toys, dishes in antibacterial soap.

Small companies. Watch your kitchen or lunch room. Most small businesses don't have dishwashers, so remind employees to wash all dishes and cups in very hot water and antibacterial dish soap. Make sure your employees stay home if they're sick. That includes you!

Frequent networking, traveling, trade shows. You may be tempted to just hide under a rock, but your business depends on you being out there. You'll be shaking hands a lot, meeting lots of strangers. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizing lotion with you and use it. Wash your hands frequently. Ensure you are taking your vitamins.

Home-based businesses. Work from home? You may feel you've got nothing to worry about. After all, there are days you hardly get out of pajamas, so who's going to infect you? But you're probably going to networking meetings or industry associations to market your business, or at least the local coffee shop to get some human contact. And that means lots of shaking hands. Use the same precautions as frequent travelers — hand sanitizing lotion, vitamins, washing hands.

First year in business or a business undergoing major change. Many people find that during the first year of self-employment, they caught more colds than any year of their life. Why? First, the meetings, networking, shaking hands that you do. But most importantly, self-employment involves undergoing a lot of stress. And stress lowers your immune system. If this is your first year in business, you've got to be especially careful. You may have lost a job, had trouble figuring out what to do, and you're certainly nervous about how much money you'll make. Even if you've been in business for many years, 2009 is a challenging, tough year. And that means a lot more stress.

A strong immune system is the best defence against any illness, including swine flu. So, get enough sleep. Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Take breaks from your business.

Finally, keep perspective and don't panic. Be sensible but be sane.