The Dreaded Flu Season: How To Avoid it In the Workplace

[FREE DOWNLOAD – Employee Cold & Flu Season Guidelines Poster – See Below]

An ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure when it comes to helping your employees stay healthy and productive during the Central Texas cold and flu season. The fact is that by following simple precautions, your staff can effectively increase their odds for staying well during the “sick season.”

6 Tips for Employers to Keep Staff Healthy During the Cold and Flu Season

1) Develop a Sick Policy for your place of work and communicate it

As a Central Texas employer, if you don’t want your employees to spread illness around the office, you have to be comfortable with allowing your workforce to stay away from work if they are contagious. A cold can be contagious for 3 to 5 days and the flu is contagious for 5 to 7 days. Much to the dismay of many co-workers, people often feel pressure to show up at work while they are contagious.

By communicating your expectations to your staff – and especially by reminding them during times when cold and flu are especially active – your employees are much more likely to be compliant with your policy.

2) Clean and disinfect

Doorknobs, handles, keyboards and even the buttons on the copy machine harbor cold and flu germs and are great places for unsuspecting employees to increase their odds of becoming ill. In addition to having your cleaning staff disinfect common surfaces on a daily basis, place antibacterial wipes near surfaces that are shared by staff and encourage them to wipe before touching during the cold and flu season.

3) Encourage influenza immunization

The influenza vaccine is the most effective way (other than staying locked away) to reduce the likelihood of getting the flu. While flu-shot effectiveness can vary from year to year (as the immunization is predictive of which strains are most likely to break out), getting a flu shot is usually the best way to avoid getting the flu. Many employers in Central Texas offer free vaccinations on-site to employees. Others encourage the vaccine through health plans or offer their employees tips in their newsletter on where to get the vaccine at little-to-no cost.

4) Encourage employees to avoid or minimize close contact with people who are sick

Let your employees know that it’s not “crazy” to avoid and minimize contact with those who are coughing, or with those who have a runny nose, sore throat or fever. Some people feel singled out as “paranoid” if they try avoid those who are sick. The fact is, it’s wise.

5) Encourage workplace hygiene

Washing hands, especially before touching the mouth/nose/eyes, can greatly reduce the chances of catching an illness. Wash for 30 seconds or so with soap and warm water, making sure to get under the nails. You should wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing (or hum) the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or the elbow to minimize the spread of germs. Sneezing can spread germs up to 200 feet (according to the MIT sneeze study). While most sneeze droplets land within 3-6 feet, many become airborne and can circulate throughout the workplace.
Encourage employees not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth, which are the areas through which viruses are spread.

6) Promote a healthy lifestyle

Encourage employees to get adequate rest, exercise and to manage stress and other health conditions. A healthy mental and physical state, along with managing chronic health conditions, can go a long way in boosting the immune system.

Remember that someone with the flu is contagious for up to 7 days and a cold can be contagious for 3-5 days. If employees feel pressured to be at work when they are sick, they can spread these illnesses to other workers

People benefit from being reminded of the simple steps they should be taking to stay healthy and to avoid getting or passing along seasonal illnesses.

Download a Prepared Employee Cold & Flu Season Guideline Poster

You can easily post it, pass it out or send it to employees by email, along with a paragraph or two on your company’s sick policy, if you desire.

Wishing you a happy and healthy cold and flu season!

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The Dreaded Flu Season in Central Texas: How To Avoid it In the Workplace