@Risk

I’ve posted before about preparing for the potential impact of swine flu on your supply chain.

But according to legal experts, it’s also time for companies to start readying themselves for an increase in lawsuits filed by employees who become ill with H1N1 influenza. Personal injury, health and safety, and negligence claims are all likely to rise over the next year.

“If employers don’t take some steps to consider what will happen if someone is affected, there are a myriad of health and safety and duty of care regulations that would come into play,” Caroline Doran, partner in employment law at Sprecher Grier Halberstam, told the Guardian.co.uk .

Obviously, high-risk workplaces, such as hospitals, medical offices, and schools, are already taking early stage action to prepare for a swine flu outbreak this fall. But, I think it’s prudent for all employers to put precautionary steps in place this summer. After all, now that the CDC has released a list of those it considers most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus, it certainly seems that pregnant women and workers with underlying medical conditions, in particular, will be expecting employers to show adequate preparedness, such as modifying both work schedules and tasks to minimize exposure to workplace hazards.

Do you have an updated plan (a written communicable illness response plan, e.g.) in place?

Resources for both employers and employees are available at http://osha.gov/dsg/topics/pandemicflu/index.html.

You’ll also find excellent information here, at Attorney Daniel Schwartz’s blog post, “Update: H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) – What Employers Need to Know Now to Keep Their Workplace Sane and Safe.”