Flu and Cold Season - Tips for a healthier workplace

Okay so we all know him/her...the martyr that walks in the door with puffy eyes, a red nose (dripping disgusting-ness), hacking away at their lungs, kleenex everywhere.  Every five seconds or so, you hear the sniff, or a cough or a moan that says, "Please let me die!" And yet they still show up to work...YUCK!

As I've mentioned before in my blog, you can have policies and procedures for many things.  But having a policy to send someone home if they are sick isn't one of them.  Instead, I encourage my clients to create a culture that deals with health and illness.  From experience, combining all measures below will make the difference, but implementing one independent of another hasn't necessarily worked in the past.  However, they are easy and you will see an increase in operations if you choose to implement:

1.) Build Prevention and Education Programs

• Offer Health and Wellness classes (nurses will often do this for free) that provides tips on keeping healthy throughout the year - this also allows staff to interact with each other and explain to each other how uncomfortable they are around sick people
• In your employee newsletter give stats on illness and encourage people to stay home if they are sick
• Make sure people know that even the President/Owner of the company takes a few days off to get better when he/she is sick (this really helps employees understand what the culture is)
• Offer hand sanitizer for free to each employee (you could even put it in their new employee orientation kit they receive on their first day)
• Have keyboards professionally cleaned at least quarterly with a product that is meant to kill germs

2.) Change sick days to sick occurrences
Rather than a set number of sick days per year, change it to a set number of occurrences per year.  That way people will stay home until they get better.  A doctor's note should always be required if there is an illness past 2 days.  But those that take a day off for a headache, still only have that day to take off.  Those that are sick for longer will provide the doctor's note and will be sure to take care of themselves.  There is the argument that doctors won't see them (they don't want them in the waiting rooms if they are sick) but it is a way to make an employee accountable - and an accountable culture is a wining culture. You're management team should be educated on how to manage this policy effectively. (CAUTION: I have to admit, if you implement this without a prevention program, it most likely will be abused.)

3.) Allow staff to work from home
Some illnesses do not affect energy levels, but can still be contagious.  As such, staff may elect to work from home on occasion.  I had some staff drive in to pick up a file or two and then leave 10 minutes later and were productive throughout the day.  If you're IT is not set up to allow for working at home, I encourage you to do so.  Employees can remain active, get better and not affect fellow co-workers.

If you want your employees to stay healthy, and get healthy fast when they do fall to illness implementing the above is not only cheap, you will see the return on investment in just one flu and cold season.

http://www.elevatedhr.com/