"Mom, I don’t feel good.”“You’ll feel better once you get to school.”
“I don’t think so. My stomach’s been hurting really bad since last night.”
“Hmmmm. Let’s try some Tums!”
“Mom, four people are out in my class with Swine Flu.”
“Okay, go back to bed!”
Usually I’m not such a pushover. Especially when I have a business meeting that’s been on the books for weeks. Around our house, if you are not aflame with fever or having some very serious intestinal distress you’re not staying home.
Except of course when H1N1 (who comes up with these names? H1N1 sounds like an algebraic equation I never learned in school) is alive and well in the schools. The fact that my daughter’s friend who was at our house late last week is out with the swine flu was enough for me – I caved and let my daughter stay home.
The nightly news reports the economic impact of H1N1 (maybe we could call it Porky’s Pandemic– that has a nice ring) could be serious. Companies are preparing crisis plans for significant numbers of absentee staff.
No matter the size of our business – or if we’re simply running a household – it's time to get our crisis plan ready. Discover your email program’s auto reply function. Find a colleague who can step in to cover your urgent tasks. Become an expert at determining what absolutely must be done in a given day (for example, getting an important business proposal out the door … or feeding your family) and what can be delayed until you’re feeling better (web site updates, cooking intricate gourmet-type meals.)
It’s lunchtime, so I’m going to check if my little piggy wants roast beef, or if my little piggy wants none. But if anybody tries to go “wee-wee-wee” all the way home, I’m taking them straight to the doctor.
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