Fall is the advent of the flu season and your chance to prepare your business
Preparing your business against the flu can actually be one of the most important exercises that you do during the fall and winter seasons.
Nothing sidetracks productivity like a flu sweeping through the office and taking key employees out with fevers, coughs and colds. And using holidays as sick days will go a long way to ruin your real vacation time later in the year.
As a business owner, manager or employee, there are policies and procedures you can implement to reduce the impact of the flu, or possibly avoid it altogether.
So what can you do to protect your place of business?
1. Recognize that hands are a great source of spreading the flu
The amount of germs on your fingertips and hands would actually scare you. The other major spreading method for the flu is by coughing or sneezing. When someone says 'Ahh! Ahh!,' that’s your cue to run for cover. Many people will turn away or hold their breath until they pass through the danger zone.
2. Make the office environment as sanitary as possible
Install hand sanitizers around the office that are easy to pump. Just seeing the pumps will cue employees to clean their hands more frequently.
Keeping packs of tissues around the office will encourage employees to reach for one instead of having the contaminants expel into the air. You know exactly how you feel when you see someone cough or sneeze into their hand, then reach for the door handle
3. Consider arranging a group visit for flu shots
Another consideration is to arrange a group visit for flu shots. This can be a subtle hint that you and your employees need to get this done.
Many towns and municipalities offer free flu shot days in the fall. You can tap into this by closing the office a few hours early for a volunteer trip to get a flu shot. This is a sure-fire way to save days of productivity and ensure a level playing field.
Health plans also generally offer free flu shots for prevention. This is a way of helping to keep the insurance premium stable.
4. Encourage employees to stay home at the first sign of a flu
Did I really say that? It's true! This is the final step to protect your employees and business against the flu.
Many employees will avoid obvious symptoms in order to come to work. Explaining the real costs of sick employees spreading illness to coworkers and clients will help remind them to stay home.
Remember, people are most contagious in the first few days of having the flu like symptoms.
Having the flu is no joking matter
The flu is a serious health issue. During each flu season, there is an average of 300 deaths and thousands more hospitalizations as a result of the virus.
Being proactive and having this at the top of the mind will almost guarantee having less sick days during this upcoming flu season.
All of us here at Bethel Insurance Brokers wish you a healthy fall and winter season!