Cold and flu season… the never-ending period of coughs, sneezes, and runny noses. Seems inevitable that if you’re confined to a small office space, you’ll end up sharing germs in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, illness at the workplace has bigger problems than just catching a cold. Decreased productivity, missed deadlines, low staff meeting attendance or the inconvenienced prospect or client due to rescheduled meetings. All detrimental to a business because the germ(s) spread like wildfire in your office.
What is an office to do to help fight off the common cold? Check out our tips and tricks for keeping your office germ and virus free:
- Encourage your team to communicate if they aren’t feeling well. Employees who feel the need to come into the office and get the work done, while sniffling throughout the day only spread the germ further. When applicable, working from home is a great alternative to reduce the spread of the common cold.
- Practice good, if not stellar, hygiene! It might sound a little too easy, but simple tasks like washing your hands reduces respiratory illnesses like colds by 16-21%. Fist bumps or wave hello instead of shaking hands, cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and try to avoid touching your face too much.
- Remind employees to use their sick time if needed. Most companies provide employees with a set amount of time specific for sick days (aside from vacation time). Rest and time home can speed up the body’s recovery time and sometimes a little sleep can have huge benefits.
- Install hands-free appliances! Sensor activated hand soap dispensers, garbage cans, and even faucets are all smart options for an office. Reduce the number of germs and bacteria you and your employees’ hands carry and therefore share each day by eliminating these touch points.
- Encourage annual flu shots. Most pharmacies offer free posters or handouts for business break rooms that remind employees to get their flu shot. Understanding that not everyone is pro-vaccinations, information including the benefits and side effects are listed on most flu shot material.
- Wipe down high traffic areas. Take a sanitizing wipe to things like doorknobs, sink handles, phones, keyboards, desk tops and light switches once or twice a day. Some brands claim to kill at least 99.9% of illness causing germs on hard surfaces.
These quick action items should only take a few minutes each however they make big strides towards a germ-free office. If you are looking for someone to take on these tasks and perhaps a deep clean of the office, Let It Shine is happy to provide a quote for professional cleaning services to maintain your germ free office.