Swine flu: What are you telling employees?

What to say, how to separate fact from fiction, and how to use social media to learn and disseminate the latest news

What a Monday morning.

Fresh from the weekend, you come to work to face fears of a swine flu pandemic—a swine flu pandemic! Now, what are you going to tell employees? And what are you going to tell management to say to employees?

Here’s a quick huddle to learn some basics: What to tell employees, resources available on the Web to help separate fact from fiction, and how to use social media to stay updated—not filled with panic—about this developing illness.

“At its most basic level, communication should reduce uncertainty, by providing clear, accurate and useful information,” says Jim Ylisela, president of Ragan Consulting. “Swine flu will dominate the headlines and the airwaves all week, but what employees really want to know is how it might affect them—in their communities, at their workplace, with their co-workers.”