As the cold weather months approach, employers face practical challenges in helping employees stay healthy and maintaining a safe workplace. To minimize the spread of germs and the flu, it’s important that employers take basic precautions and communicate good work practices to their employees.
How should employers respond to a flu outbreak?
- Remind employees to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, and provide frequent hand-washing opportunities;
- Advise employees to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth, and to cover coughs and sneezes;
- Provide employees with tissue and hand sanitizer to minimize the spread of germs;
- Encourage employees to keep work areas clean and provide disinfectants and disposable towels for workers to use to clean their work spaces;
- Encourage employees to stay home if they are sick, and to go home as soon as possible if they become sick at work;
- Plan for employee absences;
- Encourage all employees to get vaccinated for seasonal flu; and
- Train workers about how the flu can be transmitted in the workplace and what precautions they can use to prevent transmission.
Compliance Poster Company has several tools to help you prepare for this season’s flu:
- Federal Preventing the Spread of Flu Poster (#74214);
- Federal Stop the Spread of Germs Poster (#74222);
- How to Wash Hands (vertical poster #74219, or horizontal poster #74220)
Healthy habits mean healthy employees, and that’s good for business!