Recent months have brought increased suspicion and fear into the average American's life. The simple task of opening the mail has taken on a sinister twist because of the possibility that it may contain Anthrax spores. However unlikely the possibility of it actually happening in your workplace, what answers can you provide to employees who worry they might contract this potentially fatal disease the next time they open a letter?

HR can help combat these concerns with calm and reason. This article illustrates guidelines about how to handle the mail, recognize suspicious envelopes and packages, what to do if Anthrax is suspected in your workplace, what Anthrax is, and what can be done to alleviate fears and concerns at your company.

Identifying suspicious packages (guidelines from the United States Postal Service):

• Restrictive markings such as "confidential" or "personal"
• Mailed from a foreign country
• Excessive postage
• Misspelled words
• Addressed to a title only
• Rigid or bulky
• Badly typed or written
• Holes in the envelope