Preventing the spread of illness at work

If an employee is unwell with a cold or flu like illness, they should stay at home

A sick worker is an inefficient worker and could potentially infect those around them. Flu causes fatigue and drowsiness, meaning that we are more likely to make mistakes or poor decisions that could negatively affect business activity. Often lost productivity is more costly to an employer than if the individual had taken a day off and come back in energised and rested. Colds and flu are spread through respiratory droplets omitted through coughing and sneezing, therefore, it goes without saying that unwell employees are likely to pass illness on to others in the office.

Grant emergency leave so that employees can see a doctor

Allow employees to take the morning off if they wake up feeling unwell so that they can see a doctor when required. If the complaint is non-infectious or manageable, then employees can receive the go-ahead to come to work and access medication. This may not only shorten their illness but will also ensure that any potentially infectious ailments are identified and the individual involved remains at home.

Allow remote working

Often employees come into work when feeling unwell as they are worried that they will fall behind, have deadlines to meet or are afraid of letting their team down. This issue can be assuaged with the introduction of remote working, where employees are given access to the company network and email account from home via a personal or work laptop. Such a provision means that essential tasks can be completed and potentially urgent emails monitored from home, if the employee is well enough to do so, without the individual passing on germs to other members of the team.

Adhere to cleaning and hygiene best practice

Even with the above measures in place, it is difficult to completely remove the risk of infection from the workplace. This is because the flu virus can be passed from person to person a full 24 hours before the carrier shows any symptoms. In order to minimise the potential spread of germs, hygiene standards must be maintained throughout the office, with information distributed outlining the importance of cough covering and hand washing and communal areas such as kitchens and toilets cleaned regularly. Providing hand sanitiser and using disposable towels rather than tea cloths or hand towels are examples of other choices that can minimise risk. In addition, cleaning staff must be briefed on the importance of using antibacterial cleaning products in order to halt the spread of infection.

In order to reduce absenteeism and prevent the spread of colds and flu at work, employees who are feeling unwell should be encouraged to stay at home, remote working facilities should be considered and office hygiene must be of a high standard in order to mitigate the risks of infection.