An official at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently suggested employers give workers infected with A/H1N1 flu paid sick leave, so they will stay home and rest.

An opinion piece in the Global Times newspaper says, however, the idea of giving paid leave to sick workers may be too much of a challenge for many business owners and managers. The concerns of increasing labor costs, a shortage of workers and disturbance of normal business operations are legitimate reasons behind reluctance to adopt the suggestion.

The writer argues in a normal flu infection case, having sick workers around for long hours in an enclosed environment greatly increases the risk of a flu outbreak at the workplace.

The article suggests employers be prepared for the possible impact of an outbreak of public health threats like the current A/H1N1 flu epidemic. They should develop policies that encourage ill workers to stay at home without fear of reprisal.

The commentary concludes by saying a flexible and non-punitive sick leave policy is one of the best measures employers can take to fight against the A/H1N1 flu epidemic.