What's new on this page: NAIT has suspended flu-related absence tracking and HR once again requires doctor's notes from staff who are away for more than three days, regardless of the reason.
1. What can you do to protect your employees or students during a pandemic?
2. How can staff order infection control supplies?
3. What provisions exist for staff who are ill?
4. What provisions exist for staff who have to stay home to care for sick relatives?
Set a good example. Make good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette a habit, and stay home if you have flu-like symptoms.
Not only should you stay home if you’re sick, but you should send home any employees or students who have flu-like symptoms.
Alberta Health and Wellness advises anyone with flu-like symptoms to stay home from work or school for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you are feeling well enough to resume normal activities, whichever is shorter.
Symptoms such as a cough may continue longer than seven days, if you are otherwise healthy, you are unlikely to be infectious, and it is appropriate for you to return to work or school.
People who receive antiviral treatment may be infectious for a shorter time. They may return to work or school when they are symptom free, and after they have received three full days of the antiviral medication.
Refer to Alberta Health and Wellness or Alberta Health Services for more on self-care.
Supervisors and instructors are asked to make infection control supplies available for their employees and students. Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and tissues can be ordered through Central Stores.
Consider using disinfecting wipes to clean shared desks, meeting room tables and computer keyboards and mice before use. Disinfecting wipes are being made available in the Computer Commons, computer labs in the Project Factory and computers in the Library.
Please follow manufacturers' directions for use on all infection control supplies.
Influenza viruses expelled in respiratory droplets can settle on objects in the immediate environment and have been shown to survive on hard, non-porous surfaces for 24 to 48 hours, and on cloth, paper and tissue for eight to 12 hours, and on hands for five minutes.
As well, instructors can share this three-slide presentation, Pandemic influenza: Everyone has a Role to Play in Preventing the Spread, with their students during class, and supervisors can share this with employees during staff meetings.
You can also share this five-minute video on cough and sneeze etiquette with your students and employees, Why Don’t we do it in our Sleeves? The Library has a copy of this video on DVD. To book the DVD, contact the Library by one of the methods below.
Materials Management has been directed to maintain extra stocks of personal care supplies due to the increased demand anticipated during the upcoming flu season.
Please note that Materials Management now has a new item: Lysol brand 4-in-1 disinfecting wipes. These can be used on all of your work surfaces, including doorknobs, drawer pulls, telephones and computer keyboards.
Check out the Flu Season Mini-catalogue (pdf).
Please allow two to three working days to receive your supplies from Central Stores.
Remember to follow manufacturers' directions for use on all infection control supplies.
Material safety data sheets
NAIT has provisions for illness through the collective agreements negotiated with NASA (Section 23, pdf) and AUPE (Article 23, pdf). Staff not covered under a collective agreement have provisions for illness similar to those for AUPE.
If you need to make arrangements for the care of a family member there are provisions in the collective agreements.
For AUPE employees and staff members not covered under a collective agreement, the provisions of Article 29 (Special Leave) allow for providing for the care of immediate family members.
For NASA members, the provisions of Section 19 (Personal Emergency Leave) will allow for these emergencies (up to three days for illnesses in the immediate family).
If you need more time off to care for family members, you may also request from your supervisor vacation or time off without pay.
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That practising other good health habits keeps your body strong so it can fight infection. Eat a well balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage your stress and get plenty of rest.
Source: NAIT Pandemic Plan (pdf)
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