Help Beat the Winter Bugs in Your Office

Winter is a time when bugs, colds, coughs, flu and other nasty viruses are in their element. It doesn’t take long after you leave the house in the morning to find someone who has at least a sniffle, and at worst a full on virus. Avoiding it is hard, because germs transfer so easily through skin or even through the air. People also feel they have to come to work when they are ill, which is really the wrong advice because this only passes it on further.

AXA says “For small business owners, having just one employee off work due to illness can have a big impact on the day-to-day running of the business. Teams are at their most productive when everybody is healthy, happy and able to fulfil their roles.” According to the Office for National Statistics data, minor illnesses including stomach bugs, colds and flu accounted for 34 million days of sick leave last year.

So how do you avoid the impact of such sick days as an employer?

#1 Encourage sick leave

You must remind staff to stay off when they are ill. There is no need to be a martyr – staff need to rest and recover with a couple of days off, or whenever they feel better, which will avoid the need for further sick leave later on. It also stops the spread of illnesses to the rest of people at work.

#2 Supply staff with fresh fruit

If you notice staff eating unhealthily at work, you may want to encourage them to eat better (and more healthily!) by providing free fruit in the staff room. Fruit is packed full of vitamins that can really boost the immune system. Provide fruit all year round – not just in winter – as this can leave a longer lasting effect. Fruitful Office suggest that companies offering health and well-being support to their employees are much more likely to benefit from increased job commitment and better staff retention. In their survey, 81% of staff thought having fresh fruit available at their desk had “improved their quality of life at work,” 70% of staff started eating more fruit and 45% of staff were eating fewer unhealthy snacks.

#3 Washing Hands

Worryingly, over a quarter of UK employees admit to not washing their hands every time they visit the bathroom. Try putting up gentle reminders for your staff to wash hands thoroughly, especially after going to the toilet, when eating and after coughing or sneezing.

#4 Put anti-bacterial gel around the office

Add some bottles of anti-bacterial gel around the office to remind people to put it on their hands. This doesn’t replace hand washing, but can help to keep germs at bay between washes. These bottles are cheap, easy to use, and can really make a difference.