Flu season is coming in fast.

Not surprisingly, flu season is expensive for businesses, as it results in lost productivity and a spike in healthcare claims.

Annually, the flu costs U.S. businesses around $10.4 billion in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults.

Luckily, one little shot can help with that. Vaccination against the flu may reduce risk of getting ill by 40 to 60 percent.

But getting it on time and before flu symptoms arrive in the body is key. Peak flu season is from December to February, but it can run from October to May.

And with a recent delay in some shipments of flu vaccines, it’s especially important for employees to get their flu shot as soon as it’s available. The delay shouldn’t cause shortages of the vaccine, and we have already received our vaccine here at TotalWellness.

So, just how effective is the flu shot? We share all the details below.

 You may have noticed things look a little different around the TotalWellness website these days.

 On August 15, we launched our brand-new website redesign.

 While our navigation is new, our mission is still the same: to help people live healthier lives. To keep you updated, we’re sharing the details of what’s new and exciting around these parts of the web.

 Read on to learn about what’s changed and where your favorite content now lives.

7,000 dogs.

On average, that’s the number of furry coworkers sharing work space with Amazon employees at the famous Seattle headquarters during the work week.

Dogs “working” on the Amazon campus can expect treats from receptionists. If they need a break, they can romp around the doggie deck where there’s space to run and even sniff a fake fire hydrant.

While your office may not have quite as much room, it’s not a bad idea to consider the development of a pets in the office policy. A recent news story revealed that big companies across the U.S. recognize the benefits of having pets around and have adjusted company culture accordingly.

It’s widely recognized how pets help people with mental and health issues, but there are also big benefits for workplaces to include pets on the unofficial employee roster. Studies and work places cite benefits like higher levels of work satisfaction and recruitment competitiveness.

Curious about what your office would look like with pet coworkers? Here’s what we found about the major benefits of pets in the office:

August 15 is National Relaxation Day.

This national “holiday” is one day to let employees chill, but relaxing self care shouldn’t be considered only once a year. Companies that take the time to invest in employee mental wellness see fewer employees suffer from burnout.

It’s a great opportunity for employers to bring workplace stress levels down a bit while also talking about the importance of daily self care routines.

Here are seven ways to unwind for National Relaxation Day:

Is your company leadership thinking about hosting a biometric health screening?

The results of a biometric screening can drive wellness initiatives that create an overall healthier workforce.

It's also a great investment in the health of individual employees. These screenings can help employees take the first step to healthier living by knowing what their baseline of health looks like.

A biometric screening includes:

• Blood pressure
• Height/Weight/Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Waist circumference
• Glucose
• Total cholesterol
• HDL
• LDL
• Triglycerides

On-site biometric screenings are an easy way for employees to get instant results and health directives. It also provides leadership a full picture of the overall health of their team.

Curious about the benefits of hosting one? 

Here are five reasons why hosting an on-site biometric health screening is a great idea:

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), a campaign to spread awareness about the importance of immunizations for people of every age.

After the 2019 measles outbreak, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that vaccines will be an important part of healthcare discussions in the upcoming months. And, as flu season grows closer, the great debate of vaccines is going to be all over the news again.

NIAM is a great time to dispel vaccine myths and instead spread the facts that immunizations are important for kids and adults alike.

Here’s a look into why employers may want to encourage the appropriate vaccinations for workers each year:

August is National Breastfeeding Month.

To kick-off the month, August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week. Since breastfeeding (including pumping at work) can be a sensitive subject, it’s best for employers to approach it with a “just the facts” attitude. This includes offering insight and education to workers on their rights and the laws surrounding breastfeeding.

Lactation laws exist, which includes having a private room for female employees to express milk.

Here’s a look at what employers need to know to best support breastfeeding moms this month and all year long:

Want to help new dads in your office adjust parenthood?

Give them time off to spend with their other half and newborn.

More states are adopting laws that requires employers to offer paid time off for new parents. The Oregon legislature recently passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave Law that requires employers to allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off, including after the birth of a child.

It’s good business, too, as it benefits employees in big ways.

Studies show new moms recover more quickly from delivery and transition easier into motherhood when the father is on leave, too. Additionally, a new dad’s well-being and the couple’s relationship improves as a result of the early bonding time together.

Interested in setting up a solid parental leave policy, especially for fathers?

Here’s a look at how and why to let employees take advantage of this benefit that helpsthe entire family.

Have you been thinking about scheduling a biometric health screening for your workplace?

If so, it’s probably less time intensive than you think. While there are some downfalls you can’t control — how many people will participate?! — there are a lot of positives to getting the overall data on the health of your employees.

Here we dive into the details — including pros and cons — of biometric health screenings.

There’s no denying the workforce is changing.

Hiring remote employees is becoming more commonplace as technology advances and lifestyle demands require more remote availability.

In fact, 16% of global companies are fully remote, according to the most recent Global State of Remote Work report. That means no headquarters, no offices. Internationally, 40% of global companies use a hybrid model.

With the new trend comes challenges, of course.

While most remote employees would not return to an office job, many express feelings of disconnect from their team due to working outside the office. As an employer managing a virtual team, it’s important to address these issues head on to keep employees engaged.

This post will explore how to keep remote employees engaged with their teammates while also increasing satisfaction and productivity.