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Keep Those Illnesses Out of Your Office

Heather Legg

October 29, 2013

Cold and flu season is coming ... that nice, warm heated air inside is the perfect breeding ground for germs. More people stay inside due to cold weather outside, making it easier to share those germs.

Given that, the last thing you want is sick employees, not only for the health reasons - no one wants to be sick- but also for your small business. Sick employees mean lost money.

Follow these few tips and hopefully you and your employees can get through the winter in the picture of health:

• Wash hands! - This is by far the best defense against colds and flu. Wash your hands frequently and remind employees to wash theirs. Good old soap and water can't really be beat - so keep your bathrooms and sinks supplied with soap and paper towels to make it easy.
• Hand sanitize when you can't wash - Washing is better, but a little hand sanitizer is okay when you don't have access to soap and water. Don't overdo the hand sanitizer, though, there is some debate on too much being a bad thing.
• Don't feel compelled to shake everyone's hand - Shaking hand is a wonderful greeting. However, if someone is sick and wiping their eyes, nose and face, the last thing you want is to touch their hands. If you are sick, excuse yourself from shaking hands; your colleagues will appreciate it. If you notice someone else is sick, excuse yourself as well and hope they understand.
• Along the lines of handshaking, keep your coughs and sneezes out of others' way, too - Sneeze or cough into a tissue or the crook of your arm, not your hands and certainly not into the wide open spaces. Make sure your office is stocked with tissues that are accessible for when those sneezes and runny noses hit.
• Drink plenty of water - Water is hydrating and heated air is not. Because of the dehydrating factor of heated air, you do become more susceptible to germs. Stay well hydrated, and the best way to do that is with plenty of water.
• Eat well - By adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, you'll get a vitamin boost to help ward off germs. If you do get sick, it may not hit as hard or last as long if you maintain a healthy diet of bright colored fruits and vegetables.
• Let your staff know it's okay to stay home if they are sick - A day or two of rest does wonders for knocking out sickness, and it keeps it out of the office. Sure, you'll lose them for that time period, but it beats passing colds or the flu around the office, and who knows how productive people are when they feel under the weather anyway.

Keeping your employees healthy will pay off for your small business in more ways than one.

Don't forget to keep yourself healthy, too, in the process!

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