Influenza outbreaks within offices are detrimental to the success and efficiency of a business. Plus, no one likes to work in an environment where illness spreads like wildfire. Here are three simple ways to protect your employees during this flu season.
Encourage Time-Off for Ill Employees
Unfortunately, many workers in the US head into the office despite feeling symptoms of the flu, allowing the illness to spread throughout the workplace. As a manager or business owner, you must encourage all employees who are displaying flu-like symptoms, especially a fever, to stay home and rest.
While the temporary loss of labor might hinder your operations for a few days, the impact of allowing contagious workers to spend time around healthy individuals is far more devastating. In some instances, entire departments will have to shut down operations due to mass call-outs stemming from unnecessary exposure to a sick coworker.
Provide Extra Sanitation Stations
Following the pandemic and subsequent mass “return-to-the-office,” additional bottles of hand sanitizer throughout workspaces became a common sight. You can place adequately stocked sanitizer dispensers in common areas (lobbies, breakrooms, outside of restrooms) to limit cross-contamination. Furthermore, consider providing each employee with a sanitation solution for their personal workspace—this step dramatically reduces the spread of illness and empowers workers to practice proper flu-season hygiene. Plus, individual sanitation solutions are extremely effective at combating other viruses and diseases, including COVID-19.
Maintain Clean Facilities
While common-room surfaces, countertops, and keyboards are chock-full of bacteria and germs, employee bathrooms are undoubtedly the most unsanitary spaces within the office. One effective method for limiting the spread of illness is prioritizing the cleanliness of your public facilities. Aside from maintaining regular custodial servicing every day, you must always keep sanitation supplies and resources stocked and available for use. Additionally, consider installing automatic touchless faucets can prove beneficial for eliminating cross-contamination.
Use these simple methods to better protect your employees during flu season. By prioritizing the health and safety of your workers, you can limit labor shortages and boost the overall success of your business!
