Five ways to limit cases of the flu in your company

Each fall, encourage all your employees to get vaccinated against the flu. According to CDC recommendations, all adults and children over the age of six months should get the vaccine annually. To simplify the flu vaccination process in your company, organize a workplace vaccination clinic. If this is not possible, inform your employees of the various vaccination options available nearby.

First of all, verify that your sick leave policy does indeed encourage workers who are ill or have flu symptoms to stay home without risk of consequences or reprimand. In this way, you will prevent the disease from spreading among colleagues within the company. If an employee is sick, ask them to stay home for a minimum of 24 hours after the fever has broken. People who have flu symptoms but no fever should stay away from work for at least four to five days after the onset of symptoms. In addition, employees who develop symptoms while at work should be promptly separated from others and asked to leave the premises.

While not every job and environment makes teleworking possible, it is the ideal option during flu season. It allows employees who are symptomatic but well enough to work to continue performing their daily tasks without infecting their colleagues. Similarly, employees who have a sick family member can continue working while caring for their loved one.

Provide your employees with everything they need to prevent the virus from spreading in the workplace, such as readily available tissues, contact-free garbage cans, soap, disinfectant, etc.

Remind your employees each year of the risk factors for the flu and preventive measures such as respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. In addition, provide resources and information to people at risk of developing serious complications (pregnant women, adults with asthma, diabetes, heart disease or another chronic condition). Vaccination is especially important for these people. For employees who are not ill but have a family member with flu symptoms, tell them they can come to work, but they should keep a close eye on their health every day and stay home as soon as symptoms appear.