Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The flu is raging, and the entire country is at risk – literally. Now, for the first time since implementing the current influenza tracking system, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting simultaneous, widespread flu across the entire continental United States. This could spell serious trouble for many, especially employers who must contend with unusually high levels of employee absenteeism because of the virus.

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the flu causes U.S. workers to lose up to 111 million workdays at an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) believes “employers should prepare for the possibility that a large portion of their workforce will be unable to work during the flu season.” This means including communicable diseases in your organization’s business continuity, continuity of operations/government, or emergency operations plans. Per SHRM, and at a minimum, these plans should address questions such as:

– How many absences can we handle before business operations are interrupted?

– How do we keep operations running during an interruption?

– What changes can we make to keep the business operating effectively?

With the help of BOLDplanning, the industry leader in online planning software and consultative services for readiness, response, recovery and mitigation, your organization will not only