Tampa, Fla. (January 31, 2013) - As the U.S. is now in the height of flu season (January - February), the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) urges small business owners to take preventive measures to help keep employees healthy and the business open.

"For any business, employees are precious assets that merit active protection," notes Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. "Through education and planning, you can help protect employees from the flu and prevent a large disruption, particularly for small businesses."

This year, IBHS is offering a new Flu Season Business Assessment, which is a free resource business owners can use to evaluate their risk. After completing the IBHS flu assessment, business owners can create a business continuity plan using the IBHS' free Open for Business® toolkit to plan for a variety of potential emergencies that could disrupt day-to-day operations. Additional commercial resources are available at DisasterSafety.org.

Widespread influenza activity has been reported in 47 states this year. This can be particularly harmful to businesses as nearly 111 million workdays are lost due to flu; this equals approximately $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity, or $230 per person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

or via direct message on Twitter @jsalking.  Follow IBHS on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on

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