Projo Biz Blog

WARWICK, R.I. -- State Health Director David R. Gifford has been urging businesses for the past month to prepare early for the swine flu by revising sick leave policies and developing plans to cover operations should many employees call in sick.

On Wednesday, Gifford was among panel members who talked about swine flu preparedness during an informational session sponsored by the Human Resources Management Association of Rhode Island.

The event drew 160 human resource professionals, nearly twice the number that usually attend the association's panel discussions.

In the past several weeks, Gifford has appeared at various venues to warn businesses that the H1N1 virus is predicted to come back more powerful than before, affecting about 30 percent of Rhode Island's population over a six month period.

He is advising that companies take the time to prepare adequately. But so far, businesses have reacted to Gifford's advice with caution.

"I think companies are starting to take it more seriously, because of all the publicity this has been getting," said Diane Buerger, the association's president "People are starting to take a "better safe than sorry" approach."

Gifford said the possibility of a widespread swine flu outbreak has caused Rhode Island companies to be more responsive about contingency plans than in the past, but he would like to see some more effort.

Karl Wadensten, president of Vibco, Inc., in Wyoming, R.I. said his company is taking an aggressive approach.

An outreach team from South County Hospital is scheduled to give free seasonal flu shots to employees on Sept. 30. Two weeks later, if enough vaccine is available, Vibco workers will get separate swine flu inoculations. Wadensten said the company is installing containers of hand sanitizers throughout its building.

"We can do our best to stay healthy within these four walls, but if vendors who supply us with critical components get ill, we will be in deep soup."

---