Business Planning

In an influenza pandemic, businesses and other employers have a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential.

Community strategies that delay or reduce the impact of a pandemic (also called non-pharmaceutical interventions) may help reduce the spread of disease until a vaccine is available.

HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed guidelines, including checklists, to assist businesses, industries, and other employers in planning for a pandemic outbreak as well as for other comparable catastrophes.

• Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business
  (PDF - 3.74 MB)
• Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009 – 2010 Influenza Season
  Guidance about appropriate precautions and work practices to minimize the risk of potential employee exposure, illness, and the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) flu in the workplace through general prevention and preparedness strategies and in the event that a worker becomes ill.
• Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Business and Employers

• Guidance for Workers who are Employed at Commercial Swine Farms: Preventing the Spread of Influenza A Viruses, Including the 2009 H1N1 Virus
• What Pork Producers and Workers Need to Know about Influenza (Flu) in Pigs and People (PDF -  186 KB)

• Guidance for Businesses and Employers To Plan and Respond to the 2009–2010 Influenza Season
  Guidance about appropriate precautions and work practices to minimize the risk of potential employee exposure, illness, and the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) flu in the workplace through general prevention and preparedness strategies and in the event that a worker becomes ill.
• H1N1 Flu Resources for Businesses and Employers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  Obtain guidance for business operations that require close contact with fellow employees and the public.
• Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act(U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
  Find answers to basic questions about workplace preparation strategies for the 2009 H1N1 flu virus (swine flu) that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Updated Guidance on Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • Related Frequently Asked Questions