Is your business prepared for cold and flu season?

After a long, scorching summer the beginning of fall is a welcome end to one-hundred degree temperatures. But along with the promise of cooler weather, fall marks the beginning of cold and flu season.

Cold & Flu season for small businesses can mean increased absences due to employee or dependent illness. Having a plan to minimize sick days and encourage employee wellness is a smart move.

The good news is that it’s not difficult either. Simply creating awareness and encouraging employees to make healthy decisions can go a long way to keep employees healthy and at work. Even better we have  put together an easy plan that you can use today.

The Cold & Flu Season Plan 

Part I: Keep Employees Healthy 

• Offer or encourage employees to get the flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that employers either provide voluntary on site flu shots or encourage employees to get the flu shot. Most insurance plans cover the flu shot (check your plan for details), but even if your company does not offer health insurance, the flu shot can be obtained at clinics, grocery stores and pharmacies. Publix, CVS and Walgreens all offer low cost flu shots. Visit their websites for more details.

• Get the right supplies. Stock up on alcohol based hand sanitizers, tissues, soap, paper towels, and sanitizing wipes, and disinfectant spray. Make these supplies readily available to employees and encourage their use.

• Promote good general hygiene. Keeping hands and work environment clean can minimize the spread of germs that cause colds and flu. Some good practices include:
• Washing hands regularly.
• Wiping shared surfaces such as door knobs, telephones, handles and keyboards with sanitizing wipes.
• Sneezing into tissues or paper towels and throwing the soiled paper in the trash immediately.
• Avoid touching eyes and nose.
• Use alcohol based hand sanitizers between hand washing.

•  Instruct sick employees to stay home. The CDC recommends that people infected with a cold or flu should avoid contact with others until they are free from fever for a 24 hour period.

 Part II: Awareness 

• Spread the word: Educate employees on ways to stay healthy during cold and flu season and what to do if they become sick. Use posters, flyers (we’ve provided you with plenty) company intranets, newsletters and bulletin boards to communicate the message throughout cold and flu season.

• Share the word: Encourage employees to implement stay health behaviors in their homes and to teach their children. 

Part III: Illness Contingency Plan

• Cross train employees. Develop a plan to train employees on multiple functions. In the event an employee has to miss work, another employee can fill in.

• Connect with a temporary staffing agency. Temporary staffing agencies are great resources during cold and flu season. A good agency has a database of quality candidates that are ready to report to an assignment at on short notice. 

• Utilize your part-time workforce. Assigning additional hours to willing part-time workers is an ideal way to add flexibility for scheduling demands. Part-time workers can easily fill-in for ill employees on days or hours they are not scheduled to work. Talk to your part-time workers now and identify those that are interested and the days they are available for additional work.

By planning before cold and flu season gets into full swing, you will not only keep your employees healthy, but ensure that your business can function smoothly through the unexpected.