Companies try to get a jump on swine flu

Local employers are gearing up for the H1N1 influenza virus, which the Boston Public Health Commission is cautioning could infect 30 percent of the population this fall and winter. So far this season, the city has not been as hard hit as many other areas across the country, and the commission has urged businesses to update their pandemic plans and take precautions now to prevent the disease from spreading through the workplace.

Many companies are going beyond the usual winter flu precautions of supplying tissues and seasonal flu shots as they try to make sure business doesn’t suffer if a swine flu outbreak occurs. A recent survey of more than 1,000 businesses by the Harvard School of Public Health found that only a third could function without suffering major operational problems if half their workforce were out sick for two weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises employees who come down with the flu not to return to work until at least 24 hours after the fever is gone - and a few businesses are modifying their sick leave policies accordingly. Investment consulting firm Cambridge Associates has granted its employees five additional paid days off to use if they or their children come down with swine flu. A few workers have already used a day or two of the extra time, said Shannon Ciempa, the company’s human resources project manager.

In light of CDC recommendations, which warn that doctors could become overloaded with flu patients this season, Cambridge Associates, which has 437 employees in Boston, will not require employees to bring a doctor’s note.

If an entire department is out sick, other employees may be asked to pick up the slack. Jessica Shaffer, the executive assistant to Leader Bank president Sushil Tuli, has been trained to help in the accounting, mortgage, and human resource departments, and is prepared to perform different tasks if her co-workers get sick.

“I find it fulfilling,’’ she said of her ability to wear different hats at the bank. “It keeps me from getting bored.’’

As part of its emergency plan, Leader Bank has determined the minimum staffing it needs to operate a branch - one teller, one manager, and one customer service representative, instead of the usual six employees - and has two employment agencies on call, as well as employees from Leader Mortgage, who can fill in if needed.

The H1N1 vaccine is not widely available yet, but many businesses are providing seasonal flu shots to their employees and to the public. In addition to cross-training more landscapers to operate snowplows, Massport, which runs Logan International Airport, is offering $25 seasonal flu shots not only to the 20,000 airport workers, but to the passengers in Terminal C, as well - and may expand its flu shot locations as the H1N1 vaccine becomes available.

“There’s just a lot of concern out there about how this virus is going to react, and we’re just feeling like we need to be responsible, good citizens,’’ said David Gambone, Massport’s director of human resources.

To prevent an office-wide outbreak, some companies are planning to allow more people to work from home. Foley Hoag has asked its 200 lawyers to test their remote-access capabilities to make sure they are properly set up, a measure that helps reassure clients who have been asking about the firm’s swine flu plans. “They want to know that we’re doing everything we can . . . so that we can meet their needs,’’ said Tom Block, the chief operating officer.

Eileen D’Amico, a longtime administrative assistant at Foley Hoag, also appreciates the firm’s efforts, which include distributing swine flu kits, installing hand sanitizer dispensers on every floor, and administering seasonal flu shots.

“They take care of it before you even know it is a problem,’’ said D’Amico, who set her 8-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer on the counter for everybody to use.

It is important for businesses to take these steps to show their employees that they are responsible and socially aware, said business consultant Amy Cooper Hakim, founder of the Cooper Strategic Group in Boca Raton, Fla. But it can make people nervous if these actions are not explained, she said, which is exactly what happened when one of her clients’ companies installed hand sanitizers without saying why.

“The communication is as important, if not more important, than any policy changes that occur,’’ Hakim said.

Some companies are not taking a chance on large social gatherings, which could spread the virus.

HarborOne Credit Union, which has 15 branches in Southeastern Massachusetts, canceled its holiday party, an annual gala at the Shaw’s Center in Brockton.

The company will give out $25 Stop & Shop gift cards to its 350 employees instead.

At First Parish Unitarian Church in Norwell, the Rev. Victoria Weinstein is doing what she can to prevent the spread of germs in what she describes as a “very huggy-kissy church.’’ She provided vinyl gloves for ushers counting the offering and has talked to the 300-member parish about giving one another air kisses and fist bumps instead of shaking hands or hugging.

Parishioners are taking her up on it. The other day, she said, “Someone gave me a hip bump in the receiving line after church.’’

Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.