Youngsters are proving particularly susceptible to the H1N1 swine flu this year, and that's creating a noticeable increase in the pitter patter of little feet around the workplace. There have been more than 9,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu strain reported in the United States so far this year, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control, while the World Health Organization puts the number of 2009 cases worldwide at nearly 350,000, with at least 4,100 deaths resulting from the virus.

Yet, even as H1N1 spreads globally, many companies are woefully unprepared for the employee absenteeism that could result. Considering the seasonal flu hasn't even struck yet in most parts of the country, labor & employment attorney Audrey Mross, a partner at Munck Carter PC in Dallas, tells the HR Compliance Law Bulletin that it's never too soon for employers to review their policies regarding kids in the workplace. Writes the HR Compliance Law Bulletin:

In the spring, swine flu fears sparked sudden closures at more than 100 schools in at least eight states, sending parents scrambling for last-minute child care. Some parents stayed home, some found alternative care, and some brought their children with them to work.
Not everyone agreed with the latter choice. "This morning, one of our workers stated she had to work from home since her son's school was closed due to the swine flu, or she could just bring her son up to the office and work. Ummmm-please stay home," wrote one person on a national parenting Internet forum.
Mross tells the HR Compliance Law Bulletin that the key to a workable policy is consistency and communication, rather than an outright ban:
"If the environment, including coworkers, are amenable to the occasional child at work, have a policy that explains the limitations which the parent will be responsible for enforcing, such as no roaming, noise, food/drink, off limits areas, and so on," she says. "The important thing is to have and communicate a policy so that everyone in the workplace has the same expectation. A policy puts everyone on fair notice."

Read the full article here.