Bosses have been urged to send home employees displaying symptoms of flu in a bid to prevent a nationwide epidemic. Health experts have predicted that up to 50,000 people across the UK could die in a flu outbreak. Guidances from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states: “Advise your staff to stay at home if they are sick. It would be a wise precaution to send home, at the earliest opportunity, any employees who are displaying flu-like symptoms.” The HSE suggests businesses should promote working from home: “If you have employees who can safely work from home, then this should be identified and encouraged.” It recommends holding video-conferences or tele-conferences as an alternative to face-to-face meetings. Businesses have also been told that protecting staff should be on their list of New Year Resolutions by CBI director-general Digby Jones. The government has ordered 14.6 million doses of the anti-viral Tamiflu, although less than 20% of that has arrived in the UK so far.
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