Typically, the flu season occurs between October and March. The CDC states that the flu season has started early this year and has the potential to be severe. Businesses can utilize basic strategies to help employees avoid the flu.

Help employees get vaccinated // The first strategy is for businesses to promote the flu vaccine for employees and their families or household contacts. The current flu vaccine will protect against three different strains of the flu virus, and the CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older receive the vaccine.

To minimize absenteeism associated with the flu, businesses may support flu vaccines by hosting free or low-cost vaccination clinics on-site for employees. Businesses also may promote flu vaccination within the community by ensuring employees and their family members or household contacts know where they may receive the flu vaccine outside of the workplace. This may be at locations such as pharmacies, clinics or physicians’ offices.

Teach best practices // Employers also can provide education to employees on other actions that may help reduce the risk of acquiring the flu virus. Businesses can teach employees about how to properly cover sneezes and coughs and about the importance of proper hand hygiene (washing hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds or utilizing an alcohol-based hand rub).

Furthermore, employee education may be provided about how healthy lifestyles can decrease the risk of acquiring the flu. Healthy lifestyles would include adequate sleep, physical activity, proper nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids and smoking cessation.

Keep the office clean // To minimize the risk of employees acquiring the flu virus from the environment, businesses should provide tissues, hand soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Employees should be encouraged to regularly use disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces such as keyboards, telephones, desktops and other frequently touched surfaces.

Encourage sick workers to stay home // Finally, if employees have influenza symptoms—fever, body aches, extreme tiredness or dry cough—they should be encouraged to stay at home. According to the CDC, a person with the flu may be able to spread the virus to others one day before symptoms develop and five to seven days after becoming sick. To prevent the flu from spreading within the workplace, policies should not penalize sick employees for staying home. Businesses can access a flu toolkit, downloadable posters and flyers, and other information at the CDC’s website: www.cdc.gov/flu/business.