The workplace flu survival guide you've been searching for
The flu season doesn't hold back just because there's work to be done. Between the constant out-of-office messages, lost productivity, and persistent fear of catching whatever that coworker a desk over has, the workplace can be a trying time during flu season.
Six tips for flu prevention in your workplace
Since your employees spend a majority of their day at work, it's time to keep your workplace from becoming a "germ trap."
Consider our tips for flu prevention within your workplace:
1.
Promote virtual care resources in your workplace.
By promoting educational virtual care content to your employees, you can help them get the care they need, when and where they need it. Virtual care options can decrease absenteeism and loss of productivity by providing convenient access, reduced wait times and comparable or improved quality of care.
Keep your team healthy and productive with virtual care
When employees aren’t feeling well, productivity suffers. Make sure your team knows how to access virtual care, so they’re never go without the care they need. Log in and download this flyer to share with employees.
2.
Protect yourself and encourage others to do the same.
Mask-wearing became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, but masks can help protect the spread of other airborne viruses, too — like the flu. Keep masks on hand and distribute to employees around peak flu season. The best masks for flu prevention are approved N95 and surgical masks.
3.
Keep high-touch areas clean.
Phones, desktops, laptops, keyboards and door handles are just a few things your employees constantly touch throughout the day. Stock up on and keep disinfectant wipes around every workstation, so your employees can protect themselves from bacteria-borne illnesses, like strep throat.
4.
Use large work areas.
Since viruses like the flu and COVID-19 are largely transmitted through the air, opening up big and spacious rooms — such as conference rooms or all-employee halls — can help decrease the chances of transmission. If your workplace doesn't have large spaces, it can help to open windows, improve or clean out ventilation (HVAC) systems or even allow employees to work outdoors if the weather permits.
5.
Encourage employees to stay home if they are sick.
The best thing you can do to protect your workplace is encourage sick employees to go home or stay home if they feel ill. Typically, they should stay away from work and other crowded spaces until at least 24 hours after their fever has broken or after their symptoms have improved.
6.
Provide education or training.
To create a healthy workplace, your employees need to be educated on the signs and symptoms of the common cold or flu so they can prevent germs from spreading. Encourage your employees to visit Blue online for helpful articles on living healthier, understanding health insurance, and more.
Supporting employees during cold and flu season
While these tips don't prevent illness, they can help to reduce the severity of an illness and show your employees you care about them.
Emphasize exercise.
We know exercise is great for improving fitness, but it also has immune-boosting qualities too. Consider encouraging your employees to move more while at the office or to get in movement throughout their day if they're working remotely.
Create mini get-well kits.
Remember back to sick days home from school when a comforting bowl of soup and a cozy couch helped you recover? As we grow up, it's easy to forget what a little TLC can do. Help your employees feel better when they need it the most by creating mini get-well kits to offer from October through March. Consider a few of these items:
- A healthy soup
- Drugstore gift cards
- Cough drops
- Tissues
- Bottled waters
- A funny movie
- Crossword puzzles, magazines or books
- Get-well card
- Disinfectant wipes
What if an employee catches the flu twice in one season?
It’s not fun to think about worst-case scenarios, but being prepared can make all the difference if one or more employees come down with a second case of the flu in one season.
Here's what you need to know and share with your employees.
- If an employee comes down with a second round of the flu, they might be short on paid time off (PTO) or sick days. Should they need it, covered employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for serious medical conditions under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Determine if an employee can do their job remotely and consider allowing them to work from home in the case of illness. Understand that situations vary. For instance, someone may feel fine, but they could still be contagious. Others may be extremely ill with little bouts of energy throughout the day, and others may simply be living with someone who is contagious and don’t want to spread it further.
Help your employees get care
When your employees are sick, they just want care as quickly as possible. Help your employees take charge of their health by referring them to member-focused resources for finding care that give them tools to find a provider, get the care they need and get answers to their health-related questions.