To avoid having the flu wipe out your workforce, hold flu clinics in your workplace this fall—that is, have medical staff on hand who can administer flu shots to workers. The seasonal flu can hit companies hard by increasing worker absences and decreasing productivity. And this year, the added threat of the swine or H1N1 flu could make the problem much worse—and may even grind operations to a halt.
The best way to prevent the flu (seasonal and swine) from sweeping through your workplace is to encourage all workers to get flu vaccines. Vaccinated workers are less likely to contract the flu or develop serious complications if they do get sick. But workers may claim they don’t have the time to get a flu shot. By providing a flu clinic in the workplace, you make it convenient for workers to get vaccinated. And workplace flu clinics are cost-effective. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, research shows that workplace immunization programs provide employers with a return on investment of over $60 for each worker vaccinated.
You can easily organize a flu clinic in-house, especially if you have onsite medical staff. Or you can hire a health care agency, such as a private nursing agency, to run a flu clinic at your workplace. If your company has never held a flu clinic for workers, the National Safety Council has a guide that outlines how to plan a workplace flu vaccine clinic.
Loading ...
