Flu Season is Almost Here!

Winter season brings colds and flu; resulting in loss of productivity and increased sick time. Flu season is fast approaching and it’s important that employees and management take proper care of themselves. Getting the flu shot can help prevent the spreading of this illness to others at work. This virus may not only make you feel groggy and ill, but it can negatively affect your performance at work as well. Taking time off to recover is definitely essential but it can result in a loss of valuable work time and potentially put companies at a financial loss.

Other employees must bear the load for those who are out ill. Despite feeling ill and having to stay home to recover, the company clock doesn’t stop ticking. Projects and assigned tasks may still need to get completed prior to the deadline. Present employees are often left to complete their absent co-workers’ remaining work which can create added stress as they now have their own work to do as well as the workload of others.

Loss of productivity places stress on everyone. Flu season can be quite stressful for employees in your workforce, especially if they work in a high-pressure environment where productivity is absolutely essential. Reduce the effect that flu season has on your workforce by implementing various strategies and taking health precautions which can decrease or eliminate the onset of the flu.

Offer flu shots to all of your employees. More and more business owners are starting to offer complimentary flu shots for their employees as a voluntary service to help reduce the possibility of employees getting ill. Not only can this reduce the amount of working days lost due to employees staying home but it can reduce the pressure and stress that remaining employees undergo when they’re required to keep up productivity levels.

As an HR best practice, make sure those employees who are out for more than three consecutive days, provide you with a “Return to Work” note from their doctor; this will ensure that they are not contagious and are able to come back to work healthy. Don’t allow your employees to return back to work without a doctor’s note stating that they’re healthy and able to come back, if they’ve been out sick for 3 or more consecutive days. You do not want your other employees to fall ill with the flu, so it’s important for your returning employees to ensure that they are no longer contagious prior to coming back to work.

Contact us at (818) 845-5584 or email us at info@executivehrconsulting.com for more information on how you can make sure that your company effectively handles this upcoming flu season.