Between addressing employee experience and finding ways to keep talent in an economy with such a low unemployment rate, companies have enough on their plate to make sure there's no slowdown in business operations. The last thing businesses need is an illness outbreak to interrupt the flow of work.

In the U.S., the biggest fear of people not reporting to work outside of the flu and the common cold is food poisoning from a company lunch event.

At least food poisoning isn't contagious. And we've done a pretty good job at addressing flu in the workplace, but another disease may be about to find its way into the office, surprisingly, is measles.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there have been 1,044 cases of the disease in the U.S. so far in 2019, and we're only halfway through the year. We are now in jeopardy of losing our elimination status for measles.

Recently, New York ended religious exemptions for immunizations to help address the measles outbreak in the state. California, Arizona, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Maine also do not allow a religious exemption.

Most of the vaccination talk has revolved around parents' decision whether or not to vaccinate their children and the impact on “herd” immunity in schools and communities. However, this is not a problem isolated to schools and children. What we're not talking about is what happens when an unvaccinated child becomes an adult and enters the workplace.

Requiring vaccinations is a gray area

Making vaccinations mandatory could be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The best advice to make sure you're in compliance with these and other laws is to consult an attorney.

Some businesses are able to require vaccinations. For example, a hospital might be able to require vaccinations of health care workers because they deal with patients. A financial institution might not be able to require the same immunizations. It can depend on industry and location.

Right now, making vaccinations mandatory most likely isn't an avenue to prevent your employees from contracting measles or any other disease that may make a resurgence in society. Businesses should review their policies and consult an attorney to see what policies they can legally enact to comply with federal, state, and local regulations.

A violation isn't worth changing your workplace vaccination policy without seeking legal advice, but there are other ways to encourage employees to get vaccinated.

What you can do to help prevent outbreaks

How many people do you know who have had smallpox? At one time a feared and deadly disease, smallpox was lethal in 30 percent of cases,according to the World Health Organization. This disease killed millions of people for thousands of years. Thanks to vaccinations, it has been eradicated.

It's rare that you hear about cases of polio. The generations of workers born before the early 1970s might remember having measles. How about contracting chicken pox? It used to be a rite of passage as a child, but younger generations (people born after 1995) now have access to a vaccine so that they never have to contract it.

Vaccines have been around for a long time and their use has decreased the prevalence of awful illnesses, saved lives, and created a healthier society.

1. Use your current flu template. You probably can't require the flu vaccine, but you can use the same plan for measles that you use for flu. The CDC estimates that the flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu somewhere between 40 and 60 percent. If you don't offer flu vaccines, the CDC has a guide to help you implement an immunization clinic. Instead of just providing the annual flu shot, provide all typical vaccinations. If you're a small business, consider teaming up with other small businesses in the community to host one vaccination clinic for all of your employees.

2. Fight the misinformation battle. Part of the vaccination debate was started due to bad information flying over the internet. Businesses can help by providing employees with information from recognized and respected medical resources. WHO offers these responses for physicians addressing their patients concerns and combating bad information.

3. Promote wellness. A survey by America's Health Insurance Plan showed that health insurance coverage is a key factor in choosing to stay at their current job for 56 percent of respondents. Twenty-three percent said free preventive services was part of feeling satisfied with their health plan. As a benefits professional, you should not only educate employees on your benefits plan, but promote general wellness for the company. This includes everything from scheduling annual Q&As with employees for the company health plan to keeping wellness top-of-mind by offering perks like not having to take time off from work to attend the company vaccination clinic. Go the extra step and invite their families too.

This isn't the first time society has been concerned with the safety of vaccines and it won't be the only time. Every little bit companies can do to educate and encourage vaccinations is beneficial to society as a whole.

By promoting overall wellness, providing accurate information backed up by science, and facilitating access to disease prevention, benefits professionals can nurture employee health that contributes to a successful organization.

Steven Payne is the COO at PeopleStrategy and provides long-range and tactical execution of strategic technology initiatives. He has also served as CTO and CSO of the company, helping to build an effective eHCM program that combines technology, services, and benefits.

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Employers: It's time to talk about vaccinations

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