BOSTON, Sep 10, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Only one-third of U.S. businesses say
they could sustain their business if half of their workers were absent for two
weeks due to H1N1 flu, a survey indicates.
The survey is part of an ongoing series on the country's response to the H1N1
flu outbreak undertaken by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard
School of Public Health.
"Businesses need to start planning how to adjust their operations to account for
greater absenteeism and to slow the spread of H1N1 in the workplace," Robert J.
Blendon, a Harvard University School of Public Health professor, says in a
statement.
One-fifth of the businesses surveyed said they could avoid problems for one
month with half their employees out. Seventy-four percent of businesses offer
paid sick leave for employees, but only 35 percent of businesses offer paid
leave that would allow employees to take care of sick family members and 21
percent would allow paid time off to care for children if schools or day cares
were closed.
Fifty-two percent of businesses say they think there will be a more severe
outbreak of H1N1 flu in the fall but if such an outbreak occurs, 84 percent say
they are concerned it will negatively affect their business.
The telephone survey of 1,057 businesses, conducted July 16-Aug. 12, has a
margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International