{"id":737,"date":"2018-02-26T14:59:37","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T14:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/?p=737"},"modified":"2018-02-26T15:01:21","modified_gmt":"2018-02-26T15:01:21","slug":"flu-proof-organization-least-try","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/flu-proof-organization-least-try\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Flu-Proof Your Organization. Or at Least Try."},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of workplaces like the dreaded F-word. You know the one. Flu season. Just reading it is enough to make you want to run out and buy a gallon of hand sanitizer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody wants to get the flu. And no one wants to see it ripping through their organization. Not only does it make people miserable, it can also make businesses run miserably.<\/span><\/p>\n

A bout of the flu typically lasts one to two weeks. That\u2019s a lot of missed work! Estimates have put the cost of lost productivity due to flu season as high as 15 billion dollars. That\u2019s enough to make any business owner feel sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, there are ways to help mitigate the damage. And with the health of your employees (and your business!) on the line, they are definitely worth exploring.<\/span><\/p>\n

1.) Adopt healthy habits<\/b><\/h2>\n

Exposure to the flu isn\u2019t always obvious. People can be contagious without even knowing it. When flu season rolls around, it\u2019s good to establish (or re-establish) healthy office habits that help prevent transmission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good Hygiene <\/b>\u2013 Encourage frequent hand washing. Keep hand sanitizer, tissues and disinfectant readily available. Remind people to cough and sneeze into the crook of their arms and not their hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sick time<\/b> \u2013 Offer paid sick time and make sure everyone (including you) knows it\u2019s okay to use it. Make it clear that sick employees should stay home, especially if they have a fever or other flu symptoms. \u201cWorking through the flu\u201d may seem admirable, but the ROI just isn\u2019t there. Not only are sick employees less productive, they\u2019re much more likely to spread their misfortune to other staff members. Employees who stay home can help prevent the domino effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote work<\/b> \u2013 If your employees have the ability to work from home, flu season is a great time to let them take advantage of it. If they are feeling under the weather, they don\u2019t have to make that difficult decision about whether or not to trek into the office. And if they\u2019ve got sick kids or other family members, remote working can offer some much needed flexibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hold fewer meetings <\/b>\u2013 If the flu is spreading like wildfire, throwing a bunch of employees into a room together and closing the door is the equivalent of creating an office Petri dish. Assess which meetings need to happen and which ones don\u2019t. And consider using conference calls, video chats, or other technology to make them happen. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Skip the handshakes \u2013<\/b> A good, solid handshake is a business staple. But if it\u2019s contaminated with and undetected virus, you\u2019re better off skipping it. Encourage employees to skip the shake. A smile, nod or wave will often do the trick.<\/span><\/p>\n

2.) Encourage immunizations<\/b><\/h2>\n

Flu shots are no guarantee that you won\u2019t get sick, but they definitely help.<\/span> Studies show<\/span><\/a> that the flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by about 40% to 60% among the overall population.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, it IS true that you can get the flu even if you get the vaccination:<\/span><\/p>\n