If you are a business owner or manager then you know and understand the frustrations that you feel when staff rings in sick and then you have to adjust the schedule for the working day or the working week.
It is commonly accepted that staff will get sick from time to time, and when it is a genuine case of illness then you can just mark that down as something that happens and continue on doing your job.
The unfortunate thing however is that many staff ring in sick for illnesses that could have been prevented in the first place and so you as the employer need to be more proactive rather than reactive. Employees taking days off every year amounts to literally millions in lost revenue every single year and so anything that you can do to reduce this needs to be embraced.
Many employers feel that it is not in their remit to pay for essential vaccinations for staff because, in their minds, they already pay taxes and contributions for health benefits and so why should the expense be left at their door?
This is a fair point, but the thing to remember here is that if you as a business incur the expense of the essential, effective workplace flu vaccinations then you are taking active steps to create healthier employees and they will take lesser days off as a direct result. There is a well-known saying that you need to spend money in order to make money and this is the perfect example of that. The following are some other tips to help you lower the chances of your staff taking more days off sick.
- Create a better working environment – If your staff members are stuck inside all day doing their jobs and they don’t get any sunlight and essential vitamins like D, apart from during their lunch hour then you need to take steps to bring a lot of the sunlight into the workplace. If your staff members are sitting down all day at their desks, it might be an idea to buy some standing-up desks so that they can do the work more efficiently and reduce back pain. It is always a good idea to introduce plants into the workplace because not only do they calm people down but they also help to clean the air within the building.
- Do checks on your health and safety – Many businesses only check health and safety requirements once a year because they have to not because they want to. You as an employer should be taking proactive steps to make sure that you are providing a safe and comfortable workplace for your employees. You should always be encouraging your employees to point out any health and safety issues within the workplace.
Many employers now understand that staff gets sick if they are not active throughout the working day and so it might be an idea to look into some membership at local gyms where your staff can get discounts through your company.
