Flu Season: Are You Protecting Your Staff?

It’s that time of year again: the weather is getting colder, holiday decorations are starting to pop up, and the flu is coming to American homes, schools, and workplaces. If you are a business owner or facility manager, you will need to take every precaution you can to prevent the flu from spreading in your building and taking out a significant number of your employees for days at a time.

One of the best things you can do to prevent the flu spreading in your workplace is to promote prevention strategies with your staff. Encourage everyone who works for you to:

Stay home when they are sick. Many workers feel like they can’t afford to take a day off of work, and if your business’s sick day policy is causing employees to drag themselves to work when they are most contagious, it’s time to rethink it. Let employees know that it is in everyone’s best interest for them to stay home when they have flu symptoms.

Wash hands frequently. Consider posting signs in the bathroom reminding everyone that it’s flu season and that washing their hands frequently, with hot soap and water and for at least 15-20 seconds, can help reduce their chances of getting sick.

Cover their nose and mouth when they sneeze and cough. Make sure the office supply closet is stocked with tissues and that every desk has a trash can so that employees can easily throw tissues away when they are done with them. Encourage employees to sneeze or cough into their arm, rather than their hands, if they don’t have a tissue within reach.

Get a flu shot. The CDC recommends a yearly flu shot as the first and most important preventative step to take during flu season.

In addition to taking these steps, you’ll want to make sure a professional cleaning crew is regularly visiting your facility to help disinfect surfaces and prevent the spread of the flu as much as possible. If your facility is in or near New Jersey and you are looking for a NJ cleaning company, contact Eagle Building Maintenance & Janitorial. We can tailor a cleaning schedule and plan specifically for your business to help you and your staff stay healthy this season.

Bio

Chris Walker runs Eagle Building Maintenance and Janitorial with his father Dan Walker. Since 1995, they’ve provided commercial cleaning services in the New Jersey area. The company was established with a simple belief that quality workmanship and open communication are the keys to true customer satisfaction.

Learn more about their janitorial services here, or get a free estimate by calling 888-730-1123.