As the weather turns colder, concerns about the flu resurface.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued updated guidance for businesses and employers, which can be found at: Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers

Employers should be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforces while ensuring continuity of operations. Most of the recommendations boil down to simple common sense:

1. Encourage workers who are sick to stay home (or go home if they’ve reported to work);

2. Encourage good hygiene in the workplace;

3. Prepare for increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees and their family members, and plan ways for essential business functions to continue;

4. Prepare for the possibility of school and daycare dismissal and closure; and

5. Encourage workers to get vaccinated.

Click the link below from the CDC to review “What You Should Know for the 2014-2015 Influenza Season.