Staying healthy at work is good for everyone--here's how!
How to Stay Healthy at Work
Staying healthy at work during the cold and flu season is vital for our personal health and safety, as well as crucial for businesses who lose an estimated $230 Billion dollars every year due to lost productivity associated with employee sick leave.
While the challenges are numerous, including:
- Employees who come into work sick.
- Occupants who don't wash their hands well enough.
- A lack of attention to high-contact surfaces that harbor germs, and;
- Poor communication with the custodial staff.
Several simple steps can be taken to ensure everyone has a safe and happy holiday season and avoids sometimes deadly illnesses acquired from the workplace.
What the Science Says About Workplace Health
Going to work, especially in modern open office designs, means coming into contact with other people, either directly or indirectly.
The close contact and quarters have resulted in most American workers reporting that they contracted an illness at work, from a co-worker.
According to a recent survey conducted by Staples;
[...] more than 73 percent of employees reported that they caught an illness after a coworker showed up sick.
Additionally, the business experiences a negative financial impact as well.
Not only do infections spread quickly, but they can be very costly to employers.
Absent employees and employees who report to work sick (called presenteeism) cost the U.S. economy $227 billion each year because of lost productivity, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute.
The common cold alone accounts for $20 billion of this figure.
And [Dr. Charles] Gerba estimates that each time a person gets a cold, he or she will cost their employer $280.
Simple Steps to Stay Healthy
One of the easiest methods for ensuring the health and safety of everyone in the office is to communicate directly with the custodial staff who are likely extremely knowledgeable regarding steps that can be taken on an individual, as well as corporate level, including:
- What areas are most prone to germ contamination, especially during the flu season--more commonly referred to as high-contact or high-touch surfaces, and;
- Access to personal sanitation products--specifically liquid hand sanitizer and tissue paper.
Knowing what and where high-contact surfaces that are likely covered in germs is only part of the battle.
To stay healthy all year long, occupants need to know how to protect themselves, which means arming them with green disinfectant wipes to clean up:
- Mice.
- Keyboards.
- Door knobs and handles.
- Vending machine buttons, and;
- Desktops.
Additionally, and likely the single most vital component of staying safe and healthy in any working or learning environment, especially during the flu season, is to conscientiously practice high-quality hand hygiene by:
- Scrubbing your hands from wrist to fingertips, top and bottom, as well as between the fingers and nails with regular soap and water.
- Thoroughly rinse all the soap downward and away from the body.
- Dry your hands completely with a paper towel, avoiding air-blown hand dryers at all costs, then;
- Disinfecting your hands with hand sanitizer upon exiting the restroom.
Always wash your hands after using the restroom and before eating, after coming into contact with a high contact surface, or with a person you're sure is ill.
References & Resources
Takeaway
Staying healthy in the workplace, especially over the holiday and flu season, translates into a higher standard of living for you, and a more profitable workplace.
Unfortunately, many people, for a wide range of reasons, come into the office sick, underscoring the importance of increased diligence and regular cleaning and disinfection services.
Keep in mind, the flu virus can remain active and capable of spreading for up to 24 hours on hard non-porous surfaces, and can remain resident in the air for up to 10 minutes, spreading rapidly through HVAC systems that lack advisable HEPA filtration.
Studies have shown that one sick person, not even displaying symptoms of illness, can spread germs to an unsuspecting office within a few hours.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your organization's janitorial services to a friendly and experienced service provider--contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
