This year, like this time every year, we work hard to stay healthy and avoid bringing sickness into the workplace, when we can. And being able to tell if that person next to us has allergies, a cold, or something more severe is nearly impossible. And, let's admit it, we have all been that person who comes to work, when perhaps we shouldn’t have.
This year, we are battling the worst flu season yet and also have a new scare to work through as Coronavirus continues to move into countries around the world. For that reason, we decided to put together a list for companies to reference in battling this workplace challenge.
Company Support Processes
Build good communicable disease policies and communicate them to your workforce
Post reminders encouraging handwashing - at least 20 seconds, using anti-bacterial soap and hot water
Ask your people to stay home when they are not well and build sick policies that support that behavior so people can stay home and get better
Offer flexible work programs where employees can work from home if need be, especially if they are taking care of family members who are sick
Encourage employees to visit their doctors for annual wellness exams
Provide masks for your people if they do have a cold or other illness to limit spreading of germs
Use sanitizer at workstations and provide for your employees to use it wherever your office has shared devices or workstations
Sponsor flu clinics with your benefits providers, and provide education on flu shots
Things to Note
Stay calm - there are a lot of worries that surround new and unknown things. Novel (stands for new) coronavirus is one such disease, and many experts state that staying calm is a component of containment
To face mask or not to face mask - experts, such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, have shared that there may not be a layer of protection for a healthy person wearing the mask. Masks, according to Gupta and other experts, should be reserved for both the people who are sick and the caretakers who are taking care of them
Resources
If you have other resources to share or would like to comment on other ideas your company is making - please feel free to comment and share your thoughts! All the ladies at HRx are wishing you and your employees, health, and wellness this difficult time of year!