Information for managers and administrators

Mount Royal University is continuing to monitor the potential and actual impacts of the seasonal flu and H1N1 situation in our community in conjunction with Alberta Health Services (AHS). As further information becomes available and as the situation changes, we may have to change our processes and responses to certain questions and situations.

Please continue to visit this website for the latest information on the seasonal flu and H1N1 information.

As managers/administrators of the University we ask that you

• Assist Mount Royal by promoting infection control practices recommended by Mount Royal to your staff.
• Support your staff and provide accommodation to those who are absent due to illness or acting as a caregiver for an ill family member.
• Monitor, track and report all influenza-like illness or confirmed H1N1-related absenteeism to Jane O’Connnor (see process outlined below).
• Develop or review your unit’s business continuity plans by identifying critical functions, resources and determining minimum staffing levels to maintain operations.
• Consider training additional staff to perform key functions should there be high absenteeism in your department.

Process for reporting employee absences

If one of your employees/professors is feeling ill and intends to stay at home, we are asking them to contact their supervisor/Chair to let them know they will not be coming into work. When they call in, you will need to ask them the following questions:

• Are you ill with flu-like symptoms?
• If yes, please ask them for the first day that their symptoms appeared.
• Ask what their anticipated return to work date is.

Following a call from an employee/professor with the flu, please complete the Influenza Report to report the absence. This report should be forwarded to the Chair of Mount Royal’s Public Health Response Team, Jane O’Connor at 403.440.6927 on the day you receive the call. The report should be updated and forwarded with each new episode and after the employee safely returns to work.

Note: If employees are not absent as a result of flu-like symptoms, the only information that you can request related to their medical condition is the expected time line for them to return to work.

The information is collected under the authority of the Alberta Post-Secondary Learning Act for the purpose of gathering statistical information related to the H1N1 Influenza and will be used to monitor trends across campus and to coordinate Mount Royal's response.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in Canada have been generally mild, but illness can be severe for some individuals. The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include:

• Sudden onset of and new cough or change in existing cough, plus one or more of the following:
  • fever (> 38C) – most cases will have a fever
  • sore throat
  • joint pain
  • muscle aches
  • severe exhaustion
  • lack of appetite

Some people may have a runny nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in addition to a cough and fever symptoms.

Additional information

Check out these PDFs for more information

• FAQs for administrators
• Alberta Health Services Guideline for Students and Staff at Post-Secondary Institutions