Each year, American workers miss 100 million workdays due to the flu alone. There’s a trace of irony in that number: Many of those days wouldn’t have to be lost if those who were sick stayed home, preventing the transfer of germs and viruses within the office.
For many Americans, staying home from work when sick isn’t always an easy decision. A recent survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that one in three U.S. employees doesn’t have paid sick leave. By simply planning ahead, it may be possible to help prevent the spread of the flu and other illnesses with initiatives that encourage sick staff to avoid working in the office.
kAmpEE6>AE:?8 E@ H@C< H96? D6C:@FD=J :== :D?’E E96 36DE :562] qFE E96C6 2C6 E:>6D H96? 2? 6>A=@J66 >:89E 766= H6== 6?@F89 E@ H@C<[ 3FE :D DE:== 4@?E28:@FD 2?5 32EE=:?8 DJ>AE@>D] s6G6=@A:?8 2 A=2? E@ H@C< 7C@> 9@>6 5FC:?8 DF49 E:>6D 42? 96=A 2? 6>A=@J66 C64@G6C H:E9@FE E2<:?8 E:>6 @77 H9:=6 AC6G6?E:?8 E96 DAC625 @7 86C>D 2>@?8 4@\H@C<6CD]k^Am
kAm!=2?EC@?:4D[ 2 4@>A2?J 56G@E65 E@ AC@G:5:?8 56G:46D 2?5 E@@=D E@ 2==@H 7@C 7=6I:3=6 H@C<:?8[ @776CD 7:G6 E:AD E@ 96=A E9@D6 H@C<:?8 7C@> 9@>6 DE2J AC@5F4E:G6ik^Am
kAmY s:>:?:D9 5:DEC24E:@?Di $@F?5AC@@7:?8 2 9@>6 @77:46 :D?’E E96 62D:6DE @C >@DE 4@DE\67764E:G6 @AE:@? 7@C >@DE] x?DE625 FD6 ?@:D6\42?46==:?8 9625A9@?6D 7@C :>A@CE2?E 42==D] %96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]A=2?EC@?:4D]4@>^FD^AC@5F4E^3=24<H:C6\f__Qmq=24<(:C6 f__ D6C:6Dk^2m 9625D6E 7C@> !=2?EC@?:4D @776CD ?@:D6\42?46==2E:@? H9:=6 E2<:?8 2 42== @? J@FC !r[ E23=6E @C D>2CEA9@?6 @C H9:=6 =:DE6?:?8 E@ >FD:4]k^Am
kAmY $>2CE 9625D6EDi !6@A=6 H@C<:?8 7C@> 9@>6 2C6 =:<6=J FD:?8 3@E9 2 >@3:=6 A9@?6 2?5 2 4@>AFE6C 7@C 42==D] p 9625D6E =:<6 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]A=2?EC@?:4D]4@>^FD^AC@5F4E^G@J286C\=686?5\F4Qm'@J286C {686?5 &rk^2m 7C@> !=2?EC@?:4D :?E68C2E6D 3@E9 42==:?8 DJDE6>D :?E@ @?6 H9:=6 AC@G:5:?8 DFA6C:@C 2F5:@ BF2=:EJ 2?5 92?5D\7C66 762EFC6D]k^Am
kAmY &D6 G:56@4@?76C6?4:?8i (@C<:?8 7C@> 9@>6 5@6D?’E >62? E96 6?5 @7 7246\E@\7246 >66E:?8D] (63 2?5 G:56@ 4@?76C6?4:?8 AC@8C2>D =:<6 $<JA6[ v@@8=6Z w2?8@FE[ |:4C@D@7E {J?4 @C !v:’D :|66E 2==@H 7@C 62DJ G:56@ 4@?76C6?4:?8 7@C E9@D6 H@C<:?8 C6>@E6=J]k^Am
kAmY x?DE2?E >6DD28:?8i (96? 6>2:= :D E@@ 7@C>2= 2 >62?D @7 4@>>F?:42E:@? 36EH66? 4@==628F6D[ x| 24ED 2D 2 =6DD 7@C>2= H2J @7 DE2J:?8 4@??64E65] r92E 4=:6?ED =:<6 v492E[ px|[ $<JA6 @C |:4C@D@7E {J?4 2C6 :562= 7@C BF:4< 4@?G6CD2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmY r@==23@C2E:G6 56D<E@Ai !C@8C2>D =:<6 $<JA6 @C $4C66?=62A >2<6 D92C:?8 5@4F>6?ED H9:=6 DA62<:?8 E@ 4@\H@C<6CD 62DJ H9:=6 H@C<:?8 C6>@E6=J]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ D6EE:?8 FA 2 H@C<\7C@>\9@>6 2CC2?86>6?E[ 6>A=@J66D 42? 2=D@ 5@ E96:C A2CE 3J 86EE:?8 2 7=F D9@E 2?5 7@==@H:?8 5@4E@CD’ @C56CD 7@C C6DE 2?5 EC62E>6?E H96? :==] %@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE 9@H J@F 42? :?4C62D6 J@FC AC@5F4E:G:EJ E9C@F89 7=6I:3=6 H@C<:?8 D@=FE:@?D[ G:D:E E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^3=@846?EC2=]A=2?EC@?:4D]4@>^E96\D>2CE6C\@77:46^nAlc`fQm!=2?EC@?:4D q=@8k^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`def_U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`def_U2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
