As the cooler weather starts to come around, so does the 2020 flu season.

Add the COVID-19 pandemic on top of it, and this flu season could be a challenging one for workplaces and healthcare facilities alike.

This year, health officials are urging individuals to get their flu shots not only to stay healthy, but to also minimize the burden on healthcare systems. During the 2019-2020 flu season alone, up to 740,000 individuals were hospitalized due to the flu and its complications.

This post will cover the 5 Ws of what everyone needs to know about flu season including who needs the vaccine, what the difference is between COVID-19 and flu symptoms, when it's needed, where you can get one, and why everyone needs one.

Here’s a look at the 2020 flu season details every employer needs this year.

The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life at work. That’s a lot of time on the clock, giving employers a good reason to maintain a healthy work environment.

In fact, it’s essential.

If you’ve ever walked into a toxic work environment, you can spot the signs nearly immediately: Unengaged workers, zero communication, dim lighting, a lack of general camaraderie, and more. On the other hand, those workplaces with a focus on health promotion thrive.

For organizations with healthy environments, the benefits include:

• Lower turnover rates
• Productivity increases
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved staff morale
• Positive company image
• Reduced healthcare costs
• Minimized risk of fines

Workers who are subjected to unhealthy work environments have more stress, get sick more often, and have a decreased production output. They also tend to suffer from more mental health issues, too.

Even if your company isn’t operating at toxic levels, there’s always an opportunity for improvement, right?

Here’s a look at how your company’s leadership can create and maintain a healthy, safe work environment employees enjoy.

Everyone — including your employees — could use a bit more positivity in their lives right about now.

Since September 13 is Positive Thinking Day, now is an ideal time to spread hopeful messages like positive thinking quotes. Research shows optimism can help individuals through tough times. And, being happy can improve health and wellness.

The perks of optimistic thinking include:

• Increased life span
• Reduced stress levels
• Decreased depression risk

Plus, positive thinking can increase resistance to the common cold. It may also improve psychological well-being while providing a tool to better handle life’s hardships. With practice of increased positive self-talk, negative outlooks can turn around.

What are some examples of positive thinking thoughts?

Read on to find a new favorite inspiring quote to change negative outlooks!

It’s no secret employee wellness is changing.

Thankfully, the 2020 UnitedHealthcare Wellness Checkup Survey results show Americans are making positive wellness changes. For employers who like to follow trends and update their wellness programs, now may be the perfect time to do so.

“Now is an opportune time for Americans to make an investment in their health, with employers in a crucial role to foster healthy habits among employees in the workplace and while working at home,” stated Rebecca Madsen, UnitedHealthcare chief consumer officer in a recent press release.

Given that the pandemic has created a hyperfocus on health and well-being, those surveyed reported updated changes in their wellness routines. For example, more than two-thirds of respondents said that walking has become their preferred exercise routine during the pandemic.

“The UnitedHealthcare Wellness Checkup Survey highlights the importance of implementing robust well-being programs that may foster whole-person health, reduce absenteeism, and curb care costs,” Madsen added.

Below, you’ll see the findings are a collection of opinions of health topics and preferences, which can help you further improve or inspire your next updates to your wellness program.

Chances are good your employees are seeking out anxiety management techniques as a way to cope with the challenges of returning to work during a pandemic.

Even if they aren’t, they may be quietly suffering from extreme anxiety or fear.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed mental health into the wellness spotlight along with a need to learn self-care. In particular, anxiety about going to work has many employees on edge about returning to the workplace.

As of late June, 31% of adults were dealing with anxiety and depression symptoms.

If employers don’t address anxiety and help their employees learn how to manage their mental health, many will find it difficult to return to the same productivity levels prior to the pandemic.

Luckily, there are simple techniques that can be used anywhere to squash anxious thoughts.

That’s why we’ve rounded up expert advice from psychologists, CEOs, social workers, meditation instructors, and mindfulness coaches down below.  

Here’s what they are doing right now to help reduce COVID-19-related anxiety in their clients, employees, and themselves.

Have you or your employees tried meditation for stress?

If not, there’s no better time than now.

With stress and anxiety in workplaces at an all-time high, leadership can step in and offer tools — like meditation — to help quell the stress during these tricky times.

Stress is one of the top causes of illness in the workplace, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). Too much stress for too long isn’t good for your workers or your workplace. It can cause tension headaches, chronic pain, and even fracture work relationships.

While there are tons of techniques out there for stress reduction, meditation for stress may be the most fast-acting one.

In as little as 10 minutes, a meditation practice can reduce anxiety and stress. It can also help individuals feel relaxed even in the most stressful of situations. Whether working from home or working in an office, all employees can benefit from meditation.

Ready to help your workers feel cool, calm, and collected?

Below we share about meditation for stress benefits, plus simple techniques that can be used starting today by you and your employees.

The workplace environment is much different this year as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Likewise, any wellness events — including flu shot clinics — are also quite different and need an extra level of careful planning. More sanitation methods, plentiful social distancing, and daily mask-wearing are all part of the normal employee gatherings these days.

Since the flu season this year will also be paired with COVID-19 challenges, it’s more important than ever for employers to encourage workers to get the flu shot.

If you normally host an annual flu shot clinic, you may want to start considering the pros and cons of an outdoor versus indoor option. You’ll need to put even more thought into event space, signage, entrances, exits, consent forms, and more.

Below, we break down the factors to keep in mind to make the best choice for your employees when it comes to hosting a flu shot clinic this year.

How empathetic are you toward your employees?

If you struggle to showcase empathy in the workplace, you’re not the only one.

While the pandemic environment has brought to light the need for company leadership to better understand workplace empathy, many are finding it a struggle to implement empathetic practices.

In fact, 68% of CEOs think companies are empathetic. Yet only 48% of employees believe the same, according to The Businessolver® State of Workplace Empathy Study.

It’s a big enough deal to employees that one out of three employees would opt for a job switch to a more empathetic company culture. In an era where there needs to be more flexibility than ever, a focus on empathy from leadership can turn workplace harmony around.

Are you missing the key ingredient of empathy in your workplace?

Read on to learn about the importance of empathy at work and easy yet practical ways to incorporate it into the daily grind.

No one wants the flu, ever.

The thought of the aches, chills, headaches, and fatigue alone that accompany the flu is enough to make most people cringe. Luckily, one of the biggest benefits of flu shots is that it can lessen the severity of the flu and even prevent it altogether.

Just a few of the reasons to get vaccinated:

• It means less time off work
• It protects those around you
• It lessens the flu’s severity if you get it

Given that last year’s flu season kicked off early and we had the highest recorded level of flu activity since 2012, it’s time to consider the benefits of flu shots now.

And while flu vaccines won’t prevent COVID-19, it can reduce the burden of flu-related cases on the healthcare system to focus care on those infected with COVID-19.

Need a little more convincing?

Here are six reasons to get your flu shot this season:

Are you wondering how to engage remote employees in wellness discussions?

With more teams working remotely these days, engaging remote employees with useful wellness ideas to inspire healthy behavior is a must.

Especially if you want to keep them as mentally and physically healthy as possible during an era where good health is more important than ever.

Plus, if you’re not engaging your remote workers, it could be costly.

Back in 2017, The Engagement Institute released a report that disengaged employees cost companies between $450 and $550 billion a year.

Yikes.

Remote work has its own challenges when it comes to navigating unique stressors like isolation and a more sedentary work environment. That just means you have to figure out how to get remote workers invested in virtual wellness initiatives.

Not sure how?

Here are 11 ways to engage remote employees with ease: