ClickCease
 

10 Tips for Preventing the Spread of Flu in the Workplace

by | Nov 8, 2019 | CDC, Employee Health Management, Employee Health Medical Management, Flu Vaccination, Health Advisory, Health Guidelines

Prevent the Spread of Flu in the WorkplaceEmployees are a crucial resource in any business. As recommended by the CDC, there are steps you can take now, and during the flu season, to help protect the health of your employees.

10 Tips for Preventing the Spread of Flu

  • Encourage all employees to get a seasonal flu vaccine each fall. CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.
  • Consider hosting a flu vaccine clinic at your workplace, if possible. Provide resources to employees about where they can get a flu vaccine in their community. The vaccine finder application is a free online service to search for vaccines in your areas: https://vaccinefinder.org/External
  • Develop and review sick leave policies that encourage sick workers to stay at home without fear of any reprisals.
  • Advise all employees to stay home if they are sick until at least 24 hours after their fever* (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
  • Sick employees should be asked to go home. Employees who appear to have flu symptoms upon arrival or become sick during the workday should be promptly separated from others and asked to go home.
  • Develop other flexible policies to allow workers to telework (if feasible) and create other leave policies to allow workers to stay home to care for sick family members or care for children if schools close.
  • Instruct employees who are well, but who have a sick family member at home with the flu, that they can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and notify their supervisor and stay home if they become sick. Employees who have a certain underlying medical condition or who are pregnant should promptly call their health care provider for advice if they become sick.
  • Provide resources and a work environment that promotes preventive actions to reduce the spread of flu. For example, provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, and/or hand sanitizer.
  • Provide workers with up-to-date information on flu risk factors and preventive actions. For example,
    • Encourage respiratory etiquette by providing education and reminders about covering coughs and sneezes with tissues, and easy access to tissues and trash cans.
    • Encourage hand hygiene by providing education and reminders about washing their hands, and easy access to running water and soap or alcohol-based hand rubs.
  • Provide resources and education about employees who may be at high risk for serious flu complications, such as pregnant women or adults with a chronic medical condition such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. Flu vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for flu complications. Individuals at high risk for flu complications should seek medical attention right away if they do become sick with flu.

Speak with an Expert

Want to learn more?

Contact Us

Can't wait? Call us today!
(877) 502-9466 | (281) 419-7063

Solutions

"We have an incredible safety record; no OSHA recordables for the 6 years I’ve been here and I attribute that to Axiom’s involvement.

The nurses are so wonderful and so attuned to the Employees and help them return to work safely after an injury. They listen very well and the education is the most important. Our employees and managers love them.

Thank you for all that you do."

Rhonda Wright

HR Manager, Tremco CPG Manufacturing

Mark Robinson

President & CEO

Dara Wheeler

Chief Marketing Officer

Dr. Scott Cherry

Chief Medical Officer

Chuck Kable

Chief Legal & HR Officer

Jordan Wheeler

Chief Operations Officer

Chad Winkle

EVP of Sales

Jason Miner

Chief Information Officer

Bryan Granier

Chief Financial Officer

Resources

Flu Management in The Workplace