Flu season isn’t over yet. According to the CDC, the flu might still be lurking around well into March. And Virginia is on the list of states with high flu activity. Fortunately, you can help your employees avoid the office flu.
If you’re not ready to reconfigure your whole office, here are a few things you can do to help employees avoid the office flu.
1: Keep it clean
Provide disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer in common spaces. Yes, it’s an extra expense, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than losing the productivity of half your office when they’re stricken by the flu. While employees might regularly clean their own work spaces, most people probably aren’t washing their hands before they touch the handle of the refrigerator or coffee pot. Give employees the tools to avoid the office flu.
2: Encourage sick days
It’s a point a pride for some employees that they’ll come in no matter how sick they are. And leadership sometimes feeds into this bad habit by creating a culture of guilt around taking time off. While it might seem to help productivity in the short run, it does nothing to help employees avoid the office flue. If you notice an employee coughing, sneezing or otherwise spewing germs around the office, send them home.
3: Educate employees
All of us know that we should wash our hands regularly and clean our workspaces, but that doesn’t mean we always remember to do it. Help your employees make flu prevention top of mind by sending out emails, posting flyers, or providing verbal reminders during staff meetings.
4: Provide the vaccine
Flu vaccines are still available. If possible, host a vaccination day for employees who might not have already gotten vaccinated.
High productivity starts with healthy employees. Do what you can to create a healthy office environment.
Open office plans are notorious for spreading germs among employees. Ditching the open office can go a long way toward minimizing sick days and maintaining employee productivity. If your open office layout is thwarting your best efforts to help employees avoid the office flu, consider giving everyone their own door to close. Contact Jackie today and be in your new office tomorrow.
