by Dusty Summer

Created on: June 25, 2008

Preparing for illness requires a two-path approach for the business owner. First, you must prepare for your own illness, have the people and measures in place to protect your deep investment in your business in the event you become sick or temporarily disabled. This is not simply a matter of purchasing insurance, it is a matter of insuring, through careful thought and planning, for a temporary replacement who can stand in for you if you are unable to manage the day to day operations of your work while sick.

This can best be accomplished by developing a "hand man/woman" who is dedicated to you, your vision, your goals, and is motivated to watch over the continued success of your organization. The right person is one you trust, one you have mentored and developed, and one who will see to it that your role in the organization is carried forth even if you are temporarily unable to be on-site for any extended period of time. An assistant manager is vital for operations above 15-20 employees. Make it a priority to create this job title, perhaps nested within another title, like "project manager/assistant manager."

Of course you may also purchase insurance, this will provide funds for you and your family in the event serious illness prevents you from working for an extended period of time, but this won't save your business as a "right hand" person may in time of crisis.

The second preparation you must make is related to the health of your key employees. A plan must be in place to deal with unexpected or expected absences of these employees. With the advent of "Familly Medical Leave" business owners must be ready to see these key employees disappear for spaces of time as they deal with their own or family members illnesses. Cross-training is key to handle these unsettling times. A set of employees must be ready and able to assist with day to day duties of an absent co-worker. Think of cross-training as another aspect of business insurance-you are planning and insuring that your business will thrive even if key people must be on leave for an extended period.

You will find that most employees are ready, willing, and pleased to cross-train. They enhance their own skill set, find themselves to be a stronger asset to your organization, are challenged and engaged, and may through this cross-training process find new and innovative methods to manage their own jobs as they learn how their work intersects within the wider organization. Train, cross-train, prepare. Buy insurance but also insure your position and the position of your organization in the likely event someone will be out of commission at some point each and every year.

And last but certainly not least, promote wellness and reward consistent attendance at work. Find a way to get discounts or passes to local fitness and wellness centers, have classes on nutrition for employees and their families, when an employee is sick with a virus or infection, encourage him/her to take a day off to recover. Not only will you have a more productive employee, you will save the rest of your staff from additional exposure to the illness. Maintaining health is a lot cheaper and much more pleasant then dealing with severe illness in yourself or your employees. Make wellness a priority and insure you are ready to deal with your own or a key employee's absence by cross-training and preparation.

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