Heading into cold and flu season, implementing practices that keep people healthy and productive is good for business. Up to 75 per cent of employees miss work due to an illness, with an average absence of two to three 3 days each time. However, 80 to 90 per cent of employees admit to coming to the office while experiencing cold or flu symptoms – and that can lead to increased longterm absenteeism, lack of productivity, and challenging labour management.

With flexible work-from-home policies, inconsistent traffic, and relaxed cleaning protocols, many companies can improve their practices for fall and winter.

Sharing germs

Studies show that when a sick person touches a communal office item (like a coffee pot of photocopier, or keyboard), roughly 50 per cent of office surfaces become contaminated within two to four hours. That’s not very long to have the majority of your staff exposed to those germs.

Keeping people at home when sick, improving sick day policies, and allowing staff to work remotely helps keep the business running while reducing the spread of germs. However, many companies have implemented a hybrid rotating schedule with shared desks, and that can be counterproductive. If you are sharing desks, ensure that there are strict cleaning protocols in place to sanitize each area between uses.

Cleaning and maintenance practices

Implementing practices that maximize sanitation for a flexible workspace will reduce absenteeism, keep employees safer, and increase productivity:

• Encourage employees to stay home when they are unwell – even if desks are spread out, the schedule is staggered, and the office is never full, exposure increases the risk for everyone.
• Institute a cleaning schedule that sanitizes each area between uses with cleaners, sanitization stations, and clear employee expectations to keep everyone safe.
• Improving IAQ can help reduce the spread of germs through the office. Changing HVAC filters, instituting a regular maintenance schedule, and increasing airflow can all contribute to better IAQ.
• Encourage employees to wash their dishes, rather than leaving mugs or dishes in the sink or dishwasher. Also, ask employees to bring their work supplies back and forth to avoid cross-contamination by multiple users, or offer separate storage for personal and office items to minimize cross-utilization.
• Make the most of technology by limiting large meetings or get-togethers, choosing remote options instead to minimize exposure.

Cold and flu season can result in significant absenteeism for businesses, even when employees are on a hybrid schedule. Adopting regular maintenance and cleaning to minimize the spread of germs will help keep employees safe and your business running without interruption.