Is Your Workplace Ready for Flu Season?

Flu survival kits protect your workplace during an influenza outbreak.

It’s that time of the year again. Winter is coming and so are cold and flu outbreaks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5 to 20 percent of U.S. residents get influenza each year. In fact, businesses lose some $10.4 billion each year in direct costs and more in productive losses.

A flu pandemic in your workplace can cause your business to run on a skeleton staff for long periods of time, leading to more losses. Follow these tips to prevent a cold and flu outbreak in your workplace.

Keep your workplace clean. Clean your work environment often to effectively reduce viruses. Focus on germ-prone and shared areas such as door handles, phones, keyboards and desks. Make sanitation products such as anti-bacterial gels, hand sanitizers, and disinfectant wipes available all the time.

Prevent the spread of germs and viruses. Cover your mouth while coughing or sneezing and wash your hands to prevent viruses from spreading. Wash your hands regularly especially after eating, using the bathroom, and touching shared surfaces.

Equip your workplace with flu and first aid kits. You need flu kits and first aid kits to protect and treat your employees during an influenza outbreak. Flu kits contain protective and sanitary items such as gloves, face masks, sanitizers and wipes. On the other hand, first aid kits contain medicine that treat the most common flu symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, muscle ache, sore throat, and a runny or stuffy nose.

Improve indoor air quality. Clean air reduces the chance of viruses spreading in your workplace. It also improves your employees’ immune system. The best and most economical way to provide fresh air is by having indoor plants. Use artificial air filters for industrial spaces. Keep curtains, carpets and other surfaces in your workplace dirt-free to eliminate dusts and mites. Clean and update ventilation systems regularly.

Promote vaccination. You and your employees can prepare yourselves best by getting flu shots. Make sure your people know where they can get seasonal flu shots in your community. You can also hold vaccinations in your office, so workers can get their shots without missing work.

Encourage your sick employees to stay at home. Offer sick leave to your employees who have already caught the cold or flu. You or your managers should also advise workers to stay home until they get well.  Your employees who report for work while they’re sick will only put others at risk. This can result to a decrease in overall productivity of your business.

As flu season approaches, remember that prevention, good hygiene habits, and a healthy lifestyle are just as important as the flu vaccine itself. Preparedness is the key, and in this case, is the better option.

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Editor’s Note: How do you prepare for the flu season? Share with us your precautions!