Everyone gets sick from time to time, and there isn’t much that you can do about it. If you want to reduce the amount of times that your employees come down with a bug however, then this is super easy for you to do and a few simple work changes could make all the difference.
Educate
One of the best ways for you to try and stop workplace illness would be for you to try and educate your team on ways to stay healthy. Try and encourage them to use hand soap and to exercise on a regular basis. You also need to put up notices during flu season telling them to cover their mouths when they cough, as this can significantly reduce the chance of the bug passing onto someone else. Little things like this may sound obvious, but when you have a team of people who all work in the same room, this is a breeding ground for germs and things like this can really limit spreading.
Flu Shots
When flu season comes along, you may find that a lot of your employees are affected. One way for you to try and stop this would be for you to offer company flu shots. People are much more likely to get the shot done at work when compared to going to their doctors to get it done, and you can also protect your team in the long run this way as well. Sure, it may cost you, but your employees will appreciate it and it will also help them to understand the importance of vaccinations.
Keep Everything Clean
If you don’t have a professional cleaner then it is well worth investing in one. You have to make sure that your break rooms and even your bathrooms are cleaned routinely with a commercial cleaning product. You also need to check your air conditioning units as well, as this can be a breeding ground for mould and bacteria. It’s also a good idea for you to hire commercial HVAC companies as they can work with you to make sure that your unit is as clean as it can be.
Encourage Sick Employees to Stay At Home
You may need your team in the office as much as possible and this is completely understandable, but if they are really sick then you may want to ask them to stay at home. It’s not worth your employee’s condition to worsen due to sheer exhaustion and you don’t want to spread it to other team members either or you could have a real problem on your hands.
Employee Wellness
They say that prevention is the best method and this is most certainly the case. For this reason, you should try and provide your team with a wellness program. This could include educating your team on how to stay healthy and you could also offer them incentives as well. Consider handing out free cereal bars when your team are on their break or work with them to make sure that they get the support they need.
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