The advent of Covid19 has shown how much a pandemic can impact businesses and their staff. Workplace hygiene and germ protection has a higher profile and is being regarded as business-critical. From heavy investment in PPE, hand sanitisers and masks to internal initiatives that raise awareness of hygiene at work, most businesses are now incorporating strategies to reduce the spread of germs and support their employee’s wellness.
The benefit of this attention has meant that seasonal influenza (flu) and the common cold may be less of an impact than in previous years.
How influenza impacts employees and workplaces
More than 50% of New Zealanders have risked the health of their colleagues by going to work sick due to deadlines. Even though their productivity suffers as a result.
Wellness in the Workplace, NZ Business & Southern Cross Health Society, 2017
Going to work sick can lead to a longer recovery time, as those infected aren’t taking time off to rest and get better. This also means a longer amount of time that a staff member isn’t working to their full potential. They also risk infecting those around them. On the whole, it’s not the sick days that do the most damage during flu season.
Employers find themselves impacted in a variety of ways due to illness in the workplace. There’s the payroll cost of sick leave, the expense of sourcing and the downtime while training temps or the impact on employees who take up the slack for absent staff. Influenza season is a significant organisational challenge where infected employees continue to attend work and infect other employees each year.
Overview of employee productivity and ‘presenteeism’ vs ‘absenteeism‘
In 2017, only 40% of people who caught the flu stayed home
Wellness in the Workplace, NZ Business & Southern Cross Health Society, 2017
Research shows that the health of staff has a direct impact on a businesses overall performance. Absenteeism and loss of productivity, known as ‘presenteeism’, costs New Zealand businesses over $6.2 billion annually.
‘Our findings reveal that many employees come to work when sick because of feelings of guilt or a fear of being judged by their bosses. However, now that we’re in a pandemic, going to work sick because you feel obliged to is no longer acceptable’.
Lisa Macqueen, co-founder and director, Cleancorp 2020
In addition to the loss of productivity, flu season can also impact staff morale. Healthy staff tend to be happy staff. Businesses that don’t follow hygiene procedures or encourage sick employees to stay at home put the health of staff and the business at risk.
By understanding the health status of your staff, you are better placed to implement successful initiatives. Focusing on preventative strategies and improving employee health status will also generate a better return on investment (ROI).
Best practice for assessing your businesses health risks
Regardless of your business size and the type of health and well being strategies your workplace offers, it is essential to include an anti-flu strategy. By having an NXP Account Manager assess the hygiene and cleanliness of all of your workplace facilities, your business can develop a preventative plan to tackle staff wellness.
With illness in the workplace costing New Zealand businesses $1.51 billion a year in lost earnings, and employees taking an average 4.5 days off a year, best practice steps include:
- Identifying high-risk germ areas. Germs are most likely to dwell on communal benches, workstations, restrooms, lifts and doors. Identify the high-risk areas and talk with your staff about other areas they feel are a risk.
- Assessing your site’s current cleaning supplies. Make note of the stock levels, location, accessibility and impact these products may have on your employees. By reviewing product use across your entire business you will identify ways a practical solution can be implemented across all your workplace. Don’t forget bathrooms, kitchens and lunchrooms.
- Tracking the severity of absenteeism. Calculate your employee absentee figures to establish high-absentee time periods. Compare the results year on year to determine if the results are improving.
Educate your staff on flu season
The key to effectively manage germ protection and reduce the spread of germs in the workplace is to educate your staff.
- Highlight poor behaviours and show staff how they can break the chain of germ transmission. Germ transmission usually begins with a sneeze or cough that can easily contaminate hands and nearby surfaces. The germs then spread by face, nose and eye touching or poor hand hygiene.
- Locate germ hot-spots and encourage your staff to be germ-conscious in those areas. Help by providing hand sanitiser, soap and paper towels.
Although it’s now well known that Covid-19 remains on certain surfaces for up to 72 hours, the majority of employees do not act to reduce the risk. 49% of people don’t sanitise their phone, mouse or keyboards regularly.
NIH, 2020
Engaging your employees on the topic of wellness
In an office of 80 people, the introduction of hygiene systems reduced an staff member’s chance of catching a virus by up to 80%.
Gaining staff buy-in and building awareness of flu prevention is critical to the success of any health and well-being strategy. By providing sufficient education on wellness and germ protection throughout the workplace, your business can avoid costs associated with sickness.
You can avoid these costs by:
- Communication – use your internal noticeboards, newsletters and intranet to educate your staff about germ protection and how they can reduce the risk of illness
- Education – plan wellness seminars throughout the year so sick staff are aware of when they should stay home
- Flu Shots – provide free flu shots to all staff
- Hand Sanitiser – ensure hand sanitiser dispensers are installed in high-traffic areas like reception, break rooms and bathrooms
Appoint health and wellness champions to actively support and promote wellness at work.
How a Facilities Solution supports flu prevention
Whether your organisation is an office space, industrial site, manufacturing plant or healthcare facility, it is vital to ensure your facilities solution incorporates both germ protection and prevention. This can be achieved through a tailored facilities solution that protects all of your workplace, including kitchens, bathrooms and high-traffic areas such as stairs, lifts, reception and meeting rooms.
A solution from NXP will incorporate products that best suit your business at the most cost-effective price. NXP Account Managers help businesses across New Zealand find the solution that will best protect their workplace and staff during flu season.
It can be as simple as ensuring everyone has access to tissues and hand sanitiser. And that all bathrooms and kitchens are fitted with cleaning & hygiene products that reduce the spread of droplet-borne disease.
Jim Kettle, NXP Health & Hygiene Specialist
Demonstrate the value of a germ-protection facility solution
As with any investment, it is essential to be able to demonstrate the ROI an initiative has achieved. To measure and demonstrate value, your NXP Account Manager can work with WHS Managers or Human Resource Managers to:
- Review costs of germ-protection across your workplace against the current products utilised
- Record absenteeism figures at regular intervals and track the costs
- Supply all employees with a standard germ-protection kit
- Evaluate quarterly profits related to productivity due to an increase in employee health and engagement
With the current average cost of absence now reported as $600-$1,000 per annum. The case for a solution that provides germ-protection and supports staff wellness is clear.
Wellness in the Workplace, NZ Business & Southern Cross Health Society, 2017
Want more information?
Check out our Health & Hygiene products https://www.nxp.nz/solutions/ppe or contact your NXP Account Manager.
For more useful tips on PPE and how to wear it visit our Blogs and Resources page
Call the team on 0800 800 547 or email yes@nxp.nz. We’re here from 07:30-18:00 Monday to Friday.
