The U.S. is currently facing the worst flu season since 2009, and employers can’t afford to ignore it. Beyond the personal toll, flu outbreaks wreak havoc on businesses through lost productivity and absenteeism – and they can even present legal risks. The good news? A few strategic moves can help keep your workforce healthy and your operations running smoothly. Here is your five-step plan for handling the 2025 flu storm.
Employers’ 5-Step Plan for Handling the Worst Flu Season in 15 Years
Fisher Phillips | Feb 2025
National Influenza Vaccination Week 2025
December 1-7, 2025 is National Influenza Vaccination Week
The Immunization Coalition of Los Angeles County
Memo: Prevent the Spread of Flu and Other Communicable Diseases
Toolkit: Preventing and Containing Outbreaks of Flu and Other Illnesses in the Workplace
How-to-Guide: How to Handle Communicable Diseases in the Workplace
Article: The Flu: Coordinate Compliance Among FMLA, ADA, Paid Leave Laws
Policy: Communicable Diseases in the Workplace
SHRM
Articles
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every year. However, finding time to get the vaccine may be difficult for some. If possible, employers should consider hosting a vaccine clinic onsite. By having it available at work, employees should be able to take care of this simple task quickly and easily.
Flu and Illness: Preparing Your Workplace
Travelers | Jan 2025
Your frontline workers should know how to deal with customers with clear symptoms and whether these clients should be asked to return at a later date to minimize the risk of spreading infection. Make sure these procedures are consistent across the company and followed throughout the influenza season.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Influenza Season
Marsh | Oct 2024
Operational leaders may need to create a contingency plan in the event of widespread or excessive absenteeism to ensure that they are able to meet such challenges; this could include cross-training employees, creating a relationship with a temporary staffing agency in case temporary staff may be needed, among other action items.
Tackle Flu Season with Confidence
Robinson Cole | Oct 2023
One of the best ways to discourage presenteeism is to have a good sick day policy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 77% of the private sector workforce have paid sick time. There is no federal law requiring employers to pay employees for sick days, other than for federal contractors. (The federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which applies to companies with 50 or more employees, only addresses unpaid leave time.)
What Employers Should Know About COVID-19, Flu, and RSV
Big Ideas for Small Businesses®| Oct 2023
Additional Employer Resources
Flu Resources for Business
Find Flu Vaccines
Similarities and Differences between Flu and COVID-19
Flu View Influenza Surveillance Report
CDC
Employer Flu Toolkit
American Lung Association
Seasonal Flu
Employer Guidance Reducing Non-Healthcare Workers' Exposures to Seasonal Flu Virus
OSHA
Pandemic Flu and the Fair Labor Standards Act: Questions and Answers
Pandemic Flu and the Family and Medical Leave Act: Questions and Answers
USDOL
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