Imagine this. The worst case scenario happens and there's an outbreak of bird flu in your city and country. Call in the lawyers. Why?

Suddenly, you have employees who refuse to come in to work because they don't want to be exposed.

Or you have an employee who hits you with a compensation claim because they have become ill while on a business trip.

And with bird flu everywhere, the union comes in demanding a renegotiation of sick leave and family leave entitlements.

All these issues, and more are covered by Brian Arbetter and Peter Gillespie and in the Legal Times.

Issues covered include state law discrimination claims, union contracts, foreign legal requirements, workers' compensation and short-term disability policies, race discrimination, wage and hour laws, legal requirements around occupational health and safety and medical privacy requirements.

Whether or not you believe the bird flu risk is overstated, it's worth checking out.

Just another reminder of how external events can leave a business caught in a legal quagmire.