Madam, – I was surprised to read of the proposed new working measures to halt swine flu (Home News, September 5th). The article stated, “Some 200 major employers were advised by speakers from the HSE, Medmark and the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation to consider a range of new ‘social distancing’ work arrangements.
“Employers were asked to consider reducing the need for face-to-face meetings and implementing working from home options and staggered shifts. Other proposals include cancelling non-essential training sessions, spreading out lunch periods and avoiding mass gatherings of employees as in smoking areas.”
I will declare a vested interest immediately: I am a training provider. However, I can’t understand why parents and employers are being given different messages.
Parents are being emphatically told to send their children to school and college. An article by Eithne Donnellan (Home News, August 28th) was headlined: “Fear of swine flu is no reason to keep children away from their schools”.
Employers are being given the opposite message. I can’t say I know many employers who are carrying out “non-essential” training. Survival is the big item on the agenda for many companies.
In addition, at that employers’ seminar last Friday, there was no mention of other gatherings, such as Mass, sporting events, pubs, theatres, cinemas.
The ultimate irony was the medium used to deliver the message. Gathering 200 people together in a room. – Yours, etc,