Fall kicks off football-filled weekends, cooler temperatures, colorful leaves … and a few unwelcome accompaniments.
Colds, flu, and seasonal allergies will probably start making the rounds at your office in the near future, if they haven’t already. For your employees, that means feeling physically ill and mentally drained; for you, it means taking up the slack for your workers’ missed workdays and a general decrease in productivity.
Too early to worry about the flu, you say? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “the timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.”
And it never hurts to be prepared. Go ahead and start promoting the flu vaccine. Last year nearly 131 million people got vaccinated, a record high in this country, according to the CDC, which recommends a vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age.
Fortunately for corporate wellness folks, the push for vaccination is resulting in easier and more convenient options that you can use in your no-excuses promotion efforts. These include nasal sprays, smaller needles, and more locations, such as many pharmacies, where flu shots can be administered.
Until they find a cure for the common cold, your best bet is prevention. Encourage your workers to employ a healthy dose of common sense to keep themselves well and to keep germs from spreading. This includes frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and sanitizing desktops and common areas. You may want to provide a stockpile of disinfecting wipes to make the latter more convenient.
As for allergies, advise your employees on ways to avoid their triggers, which may be anything from dust mites to mold spores to pollen. Have your office air ducts cleaned before the weather becomes cold enough to turn on the heat. Over-the-counter allergy medications can help alleviate your workers’ symptoms, and if they’re severe, point them in the direction of an allergy specialist.
Here’s to a happy, healthy fall.
