Swine flu …information for staff

How do I report sickness to my manager?

At present staff should continue to report all sickness in the usual way, as follows:

• Stay at home and telephone your line manager at the earliest opportunity to inform them of your sickness.
  
  
• If necessary, seek medical advice by telephoning your GP or NHS Direct.
  
  

Self-certification

This applies for the first seven days of sickness absence. If you are still absent due to sickness after seven days you will need a doctors certificate.

 

What should I do if I need to take time off to care for sick family members, friends or my child/children?

• Carer's leave has been reverted back to two days per year.
• If you need to take carers leave please agree it with your line manager.
• Your manager should immediately record this absence on a P5 form and send it to payroll, clearly stating the reason eg flu.

 

Q&As

 

Q. What is swine flu?

A. Swine flu is a respiratory disease that may have originated in pigs but which appears to have become capable of human to human transmission. Human symptoms consist of fever and respiratory illness, headache, muscle aches (flu-like symptoms), and in some cases vomiting and diarrhoea.

 

 

 

Q. What is the incubation period for swine flu?

A. According to the Health Protection Agency, the incubation period for swine flu (time between infection and appearance of symptoms) can be up to seven days, but is most likely to be between two and five days.

 

 

 

Q. When are people most infectious?

A. People are most infectious to others soon after they develop symptoms, although they continue to shed the virus (eg in coughs and sneezes) for up to five days (seven days in children). People become less infectious as their symptoms subside, and once their symptoms are gone they are no longer considered infectious to others.

 

 

 

Q. How long does the virus last?

A. The majority of people who have had swine flu have recovered very quickly. The national guidelines for recovery are after a five-day course of Tamiflu or when they become free from symptoms; whichever occurs first. In other countries where Tamiflu is not available, people are still making a full recovery, which indicates that this particular virus is a mild, flu-like one.

 

 

 

Q. If I have had swine flu when should I come back to work?

A. Staff should come back to work when they no longer have any flu-like symptoms.

 

 

 

Q. Should I come to work if I have been in contact with someone who I know has swine flu?

A. Yes, as long as you do not have flu-like symptoms. If you are feeling well you should go about your normal activities, including going to work. It can take up to seven days (normally two to five days) after infection for swine flu symptoms to develop. If you develop symptoms, stay at home and telephone your GP.

 

 

 

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