“An organization can be severely impacted by people coming to
work when they’re sick. We know illness can spread from person to
person causing entire work groups to be impacted. But less obvious
is how job performance, organization, productivity, creativity and
financial stability can all be affected,” said
Capelli-Schellpfeffer.
People often think because they wash their hands or take
over-the-counter medications, they aren’t spreading the illness.
Not so.
“Just being in a room and breathing when a person is sick can
spread the illness not to mention coughing and sneezing. If you’re
sick you shouldn't’t be in the workplace. It interrupts
business and puts others at risk of infection,” said
Capelli-Schellpfeffer.
Sickness can interrupt productivity by creating a distraction
and causing both the infected person and coworkers to focus on the
illness instead of their jobs. It also blurs the lines between
personal and professional lives and relationships.
“It’s good for people to feel like a team and care about each
other, but it’s not healthy for people to be invasive of each
other’s privacy, including their medical privacy,” said
Capelli-Schellpfeffer. “It disrupts the interactions of the team
and can be corrosive, even setting the stage for future judgments,
misunderstandings and biases.”
To ensure an environment of wellness and productivity, managers
need to keep an open dialogue with employees about attendance
policies and sick days according to Capelli- Schellpfeffer.
“Encourage employees who are sick to use their sick time. Many
don’t know they have it because they’ve never had to use it,” said
Capelli-Schellpfeffer. “Make sure to plan ahead so if you have a
deadline there are procedures in place - like how to work from
home. By making small changes and preparing for illness we can
protect each other and our businesses.”
If someone in the workplace has been sick Capelli-Schellpfeffer offers these common sense, but often forgotten, tips to limit the spread of illness:
1. Wipe down all surfaces, especially shared surfaces such as
copy machines.
2. Let space be your friend: Having 6-8 feet between you and a sick
person can reduce the chance you too will become sick.
3. Keep food and beverages away from work areas of sick employees,
including offices and cubicles.
4. Implement a wellness agenda that includes an annual flu
shot.
“While news cycles and the public’s attention span about the flu rises and wanes, the flu is not going away and most likely will only get worse this fall,” said Capelli-Schellpfeffer. “Though there is a cost involved in promoting wellness, it is small in comparison to the pricey hit companies take when their workforce is impaired by illness. A flu shot program is an investment that yields big returns for businesses.”
You will find a number of wellness videos and podcasts on SBTV.com created especially for small business.
