H1N1 in the Workplace – A FREE Course for Business

Sharlyn Lauby

29 Oct 2009

Let’s face it – staffing levels are at their lowest in years. Having a person out sick for a day, much less several days, could cause a significant hardship to your business. Recent media reports suggest that approximately 35% of all companies are likely to have their operations severely affected if a major H1N1 outbreak occurs.

For the past few months, the Bartender has been spreading the word about the significance of this virus and over the weekend, President Obama declared a national emergency. I know we’ve all been reading and watching news reports about the H1N1 but how much do we really know?

Well, I thought I was pretty darn knowledgeable about the virus until my friends over at CoursePark introduced me to their latest program, H1N1 in the Workplace. This eLearning program allows organizations to assess their readiness level for H1N1.

Let me tell you a couple of things I like about this program:

There’s no charge for this program. None. Nada. Nil.
Managers can track employees to see which ones complete the course, so they can tell at a glance how prepared for H1N1 their team is.
The eLearning program is short (15 minutes) and to the point. They took a complicated subject (viruses) and made it easy to understand.
There’s no cost or obligation for the training.
The content itself is very interesting. It talks about how the virus is spread, some great do’s and don’ts for the workplace, and symptoms for individuals. There’s a part where they talk about the history of the virus and show it’s migration across the globe…fascinating.
Oh, and did I mention it’s free?

But the thing I really like about this program is that it contains a pre‐/post‐test (aka Kirkpatrick’s Level 2 evaluation). As a training professional, this is good. Actually, it’s better than good. It shows you that some level of knowledge comprehension occurred. We all know handing out paycheck flyers and hanging posters in the cafeteria doesn’t tell you that people actually learned anything. Using a program like this would.

For example, I mentioned earlier that I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about H1N1. Key word: thought. Well, the Bartender scored in the 41‐60% Average range during the pre‐test. After reviewing the CoursePark program (which took only 15 minutes total), I scored 100% on the post‐test! I was also very relieved to learn that eating bacon doesn’t make you susceptible to the H1N1. Who wouldn’t want to learn that?!

And, just in case you’re wondering about CoursePark ‐ who are these guys? Well, they’re the world’s first online Learning Management Network. You can use their library of over 1,000 courses from some of the world’s top course developers, or you can also create your own e‐learning sessions via their easy‐to‐use process.

But their key differentiator is they’re a full training management system without any of the hassles that those systems usually take to set up. Managers can track employees’ training, see who’s up to date on any refresher courses, and can ensure everyone is compliant. But CoursePark still only takes minutes to set up, and only costs a fraction of what this type of setup usually costs.

CoursePark developed this program in conjunction with Bluedrop Performance Learning and under the medical direction of two leading epidemiologists (doctors who study chronic/infectious diseases and outbreaks). The result? You have timely content delivered through a great medium in an interesting and engaging way.

So, take 15 minutes and check out their really cool program at http://www.coursepark.com/H1N1. You might be surprised (like I was) at how ready you are for the H1N1 virus.

(Editor’s Note: Today’s post was sponsored by CoursePark. And no, it wasn’t in Coffee Crisp bars…although they are my fave and only available in Canada. I digress… Everything written in this post is my honest to goodness opinion. I’d tell you the same thing over drinks at the bar. Pinky swear.)