“It comes down to counseling the employee and letting him know he really should go home,” says Elliott, who has told employees to go home. Still, he says, “I would caution managers that if the employee says he is fine, leave it. You might want to monitor his activity though, and if it is way off, talk to him about taking tomorrow off.”
Some businesses try to curb flu outbreaks in their workplace by administering vaccines. Others rely on an effective leave policy and encourage workers to step up hygiene efforts.
Elliott says he has seen a definite return on investment, in terms of lessened absenteeism, for employers that offer flu shots. “It’s a proactive approach.”
This year, the Miami Dolphins football team took that proactive approach and gave its players and office workers flu shots. Some sports teams have gone as far as to quarantine players with flu symptoms to prevent contaminating teammates.
Shipping company DHL encourages flu shots by reimbursing the cost at 100 percent and emphasizing preventative care. The company allows workers to accrue sick time by hours worked from their first day on the job. And it separates paid vacation time off from sick time to encourage its use.
Most importantly, says Mari Toroker, senior manager of HR at DHL Express Americas, “We’re a tight environment, a cubicle environment, and we encourage anyone who is sick to work from home. We really promote that internally.”
In the workplace, flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces like keyboards and desks for up to 48 hours. But the most common way flu virus is spread in offices is through person-to-person contact and via the air from coughing, says Giorgio Tarchini, an infectious disease doctor with Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Fla.
Often, he notes, people go back to work too soon. “They should wait 24 hours with no symptoms,” he says.
