The Open Office vs The Flu – Staying Healthy in Today’s Workspace
Working in an open office can often feel like a breeze until you hear the sounds of distant coughing popping up from the other side of the room. It’s good practice to be mindful of what resources are available for your organization and how to promote a healthy work environment. Here are important things to consider when working through the flu season.
Flu Shot and Missed Work
A common misconception with the flu is that you need only a few flu shots when you’re young, then you’re set to live a healthy life forever. According to Dr. Karron, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, that is not the case. Unfortunately, the flu virus changes almost every year, and Dr. Karron explains that “the part of the virus that changes is the very part the immune system targets”.
Flu shots only reduce your risk, not eliminate it. Even if some employees find the flu vaccine to be “less effective” over the years, it’s a good bet to take, since vaccinated employees typically have 18%-45% fewer lost workdays and 18%-28% fewer work days with reduced productivity
Mindful Behaviors To Help You Stay Sick-Free
- Keeping Some Vitamins at Your Desk – Studies have shown people who take vitamin C regularly get sick less often and for less duration. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and veggies can be a good place to start. You’ll want to get around 1000 milligrams per day, where the max adult dosage is 2000 mg.
- Being Conscious of Items Around You – Viruses can live on inanimate objects for up to 72 hours, and can last longer on hard surfaces (like stainless steel) than soft ones (like your couch). Maintaining basic hygiene can help combat the spread of the flu virus.
- “Staying Out of the Office Kitchen” – Be mindful of high traffic office spots. If you have a dirty or compact office kitchen, for example, you increase the chances of coming in contact with items that could infect you (or vice versa). Wiping frequently used surfaces down can help reduce the risk of the flu spreading.
Tips On Interacting With Others During Flu Season
- Think While Interacting with Other Employees – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the flu can spread from the body up to roughly six feet away, mainly by droplets made during a cough, sneeze or talk. You’ll want to keep a steady distance from people you may or may not know are sick, especially loud people. A recent study on the aerosols produced during human speech shows that yelling produces 50 times more aerosol particles than talking in a normal voice.
- Be Mindful of Another Person’s Health – You never quite know what other people may have prior to the flu season. Anyone may have pre-existing conditions (like cancer patients and transplant recipients) that increase their risk during flu season.
- If You are Sick, Give Proper Notice – Email Etiquette must be properly enforced when you’re struck by the flu. Follow your company’s procedure for calling in sick, and find who you must directly notify to call time off. Try to give your employer sufficient notice as early as possible via email and phone to cover all your bases. Always notify the people you work with on a daily basis and communicate your list of urgent to-dos. Delegate the most important tasks that are necessary for work to function while you are away.
Must-Do’s To Increase Awareness On Flu Prevention at Work.
- Participate in Office Training – One of the first things to do at any company is knowing the policies on office health and flu shots. Companies may provide resources that will be invaluable for others who may not be aware of how to better prevent sickness at work.
- Start a Survival Kit Early – Start assembling your flu kit early on, before the worst of the sickness hits. A combination of different fluids, honey, cough medication, and cough drops can help get you through the season. Encouraging others to do the same will greatly impact your office’s health status as well.
- Help Stock the Office – There are a few ways to contribute to your office health such as laying out hand sanitizer by the doors and in high-contact areas. Providing hand sanitizer at convenient locations will encourage employees to keep their hands clean at all times.
- Keep the Flu Out – If you know someone else who’s sick at work, encourage them to take some time off and recommend to your higher-ups that they take a day or two to recover. Practicing this form of flu season etiquette is important according to Bill Moffitt, the former chief executive of Nanosphere. He notes that most people in an office “underestimate how sick they really are and they don’t think about how their decision to go to work can potentially infect others.”
