Influenza is one of the leading causes of employee absences.

The Society of Human Resource Management estimates that 10 to 12 percent of all employee absences are due to the flu virus. Each infected employee could miss up to six days of work and need up to two weeks to make a full recovery.

Many employers view absenteeism as a large source of loss for an organization and many companies commonly develop specific policies to combat the indirect costs of lost productivity. This common misconception encourages employees to avoid missing work when they’re sick, and often they’re unable to perform at their usual level of efficiency. Recent studies have shown that the combination of health care costs for the employee, coupled with their lack of productivity during the workday, has a far greater effect to an employer than if the individual had simply taken sick days and stayed home. This phenomenon of “presenteeism” is quickly becoming an emerging concern in the workplace.  

Appreciative. Apprehensive. Scared. Eager. There are a lot of emotions surrounding the way employees experience company flu shots. A quick keyword scan on Twitter brought up these tweets about onsite flu clinics. Some are grateful, some are terrified and others seem slightly misinformed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, on average, the flu costs employers approximately $10.4 billion a year in direct costs for adult hospitalization and outpatient visits.The cost of hosting a flu shot clinic pales in comparison, but regardless of your approach to the upcoming flu season, there is no doubt that this virus costs your business money. This is one reason why wellness experts are excited to see the continued development of a universal flu vaccine by researchers at Stanford University, one that could be produced quickly and offer more widespread protection than the shots available today.

For more than 30 years, the only option for the flu vaccine has been trivalent; that is, designed to protect against three strains of the influenza virus. Last year, for the first time, a new quadrivalent vaccine was introduced that provides protection against four varieties of the virus. This year will be the first time the quad vaccine is widely available, with the option to get it in the form of either a traditional shot or a nasal spray. 

This year, you have more choices than ever for flu vaccines.

The newest available option, the quadrivalent vaccine, offers protection against four strains of flu virus and can be given as a traditional shot or a nasal spray.

With so many varieties of vaccines on the market, it can be difficult to determine which one will work best for you or your workplace.

We've had years of experience holding flu shot clinics and have heard every excuse in the book for skipping out on your yearly vaccine. If you or a coworker have reservations or have heard rumors about the flu shot, send this handy list to them to ensure they know the facts about being protected from the flu. 

By now, you’ve heard that most of your employees don’t know how to properly wash their hands and miss up to 5 days of work because of the flu each year. Although our flu shot clinics and hand washing education booths can truly help make your office healthier, the first line of defense starts with your own workspace. Even the best cleaning services are likely to miss most of these high-traffic areas, many of which are crawling with bacteria that can infect and spread amongst your staff.  Read on to discover where germs are hiding in your office space.