On May 17, 2019, the CDC reported the greatest number of measles cases in the U.S. since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

Employers must prepare to respond appropriately to any risk presented in the workplace and face the challenge of protecting both the person with measles and the rest of the staff, while not compromising HIPPA laws. Don’t wait for the disease to strike your workers. Prepare now!

• Contact your local Public Health Dept. They can provide you with guidance and support, as well as how to handle health and safety issues that arise.

• Go online to the CDC website. Print out facts & safety info to share with your employees. Ex: Those vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 should find out if they received an inactivated vaccine as opposed to a live virus vaccine. The live virus vaccine was found to be ineffective.

Never identify an employee with measles. This could violate HIPPA laws and leave you vulnerable to lawsuits.

Establish a protocol for dealing with measles-infected employees. The individual should be sent home to lessen exposure to others, and a note from a physician should be mandatory before the employee can return to work.

You cannot mandate that employees get vaccinated. You can offer written info from the CDC or Public Health Dept. with measles medical facts and safety suggestions, but it is generally against the law to order anyone to get vaccinated. Healthcare workers and some others mandated by the government are exceptions. Employers must find another solution for workers who object to vaccines for religious reasons or because of a disability such as a weakened immune system.

4 Signs of Employee Disengagement

1. Unhealthy behavior – Too many breaks for snacks, bathroom, or smoke.
2. Lack of work motivation – If you encourage learning & growth & employee shows no interest or curiosity, you might have an engagement problem.
3. No performance initiative – An employee may submit acceptable work but show no interest in other work activities.
4. Absenteeism, low energy, bad attitude – Obvious signs of disengagement.
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Keep Up with Emerging Trends in Today’s Workplace

• Train young employees using technology, short multi-media clips, & cross-device training platforms to appeal to their tech-savvy & short attention spans.
• Determine what flexibility matters to your employees.
• More workers want to align with employers that have a social mission.