Milwaukee’s mayor is holding a summit today to stifle swine flu in the workplace. Mayor Tom Barrett says the summit for businesses will be the first of a series the city is holding to discuss risks, prevention and treatment of swine flu. This includes emphasizing seasonal and H1N1 vaccines for employees and examining sick leave policies for companies.
Barrett says businesses need to be prepared to adapt to missing employees or take other steps such as workplace isolation or telecommuting. He admits some cultural practices work against curbing the spread of the disease such as frequent handshaking.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce is also helping with the event.
Of the more than 46-hundred swine flu cases in Wisconsin this year, Milwaukee County has had around 24-hundred of those cases.