As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, it is difficult to predict the exact severity and timing of flu season in the United States. Yet, despite uncertainties about when seasonal illnesses may strike your staff, it’s important to be prepared in order to minimize any adverse impacts on your business operations. Here are a few helpful tips to keep things running smoothly amidst the sneezes and sniffles.
Plan Ahead for Employee Absences
While you may be lucky and navigate through winter without your staff succumbing to colds or the flu, it still pays to be ready. Offering your workforce the option of telecommuting while ill will allow you to remain productive without risking further spread of germs in the workplace. One of the primary reasons workers show up while ill is fear of punishment or lost pay. However, the spread of a serious illness like flu could cost much more in poor performance. By facilitating at-home work, you will benefit from happy and healthy employees and, ultimately, increased productivity. Develop a backup plan for filling in the gaps when you need to cover the in-person duties of a sick employee.
Cultivate a Healthy Office
Promote healthy practices among your employees. Emphasize cough protocol and hand-washing, and provide plenty of antibacterial gel to keep germs at bay. Install a germicidal air purifier to tackle the biomaterials that may infiltrate your facility. When you host staff meetings or training activities, offer healthy foods and beverages that support the immune system. While these efforts cannot guarantee that you and your staff will not contract any winter illnesses, they may help minimize the risk.
Compassion and Accountability
In efforts to promote a positive work environment, adopting a compassionate approach to employee illness could be crucial in encouraging loyalty among your workers. You may want to consider establishing a system of accountability such as requiring a doctor’s note to minimize the misuse of sick leave while still ensuring those who are ill can have the time needed to recuperate.
Allow ActionCOACH to Help You Strategize for Seasonal Challenges
As you cultivate a positive work environment, expert insight can be a major asset in dealing with common seasonal issues such as winter illnesses. ActionCOACH offers important insight and experience that can help you to develop a successful plan for maintaining productivity during the most challenging circumstances. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business flourish.