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Sick at Work: Employees Could Pick Up More at the Water Cooler than Just Gossip

Susan Rehm, MD, National Foundation of Infectious Diseases, Offers Tips for Minimizing Spread of Flu in the Workplace

In a new survey conducted among members of the Society for Human Resource Management, 63 percent of professionals said their company had taken no formal steps to educate employees about minimizing spread of flu in the workplace.   

While the flu vaccine shortage has taken a toll on the U.S. this year, analysts say the bigger toll may rest with employees who are not properly educated on how to control its spread.  This could result in a $20 billion loss of productivity this year -- nearly twice as much as a typical year.  

Influenza spreads quickly in the workplace, especially if people come to work sick and are not properly treated. The average worker misses one to 1½  days of work due to flu each year, a rate that could double this year. Yet, if workers take proper steps, they can avoid the flu altogether, recover more quickly, and keep from infecting co-workers.

Who: Susan J. Rehm, M.D., Medical Director, NFID, member of the department of infectious disease at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation offers tips, including:

§         Know the difference between cold and flu symptoms

§         Practice respiratory etiquette, avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth; keep tissues on hand

§         See your doctor as soon as flu symptoms arise

§         Prescription antiviral medications can help prevent and treat influenza

Should employees stay home when sick?

Dr. Rehm also addresses results of a national consumer Omnibus survey, which found:

§         75% responded that their company encourages employees to stay home from work when they are sick, yet 38% feel pressured to come to work despite their illness

§         34% say that “annoyed” best describes their sentiments when co-workers come to work when sick with the flu 

§         34% said that they have taken an antibiotic to treat the flu, even though antibiotics are not effective in treating the flu.

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