How to Prevent Colds in the Workplace
Due to close working conditions, colds can quickly spread through a workplace and cause employees to miss work. Although no one is immune to catching colds, there are ways to reduce the spread of colds in the workplace. Learning to control these infections can help increase employee productivity and decrease multiple absences.
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Things You'll Need
- Hand sanitizer
- Trash cans
- Tissue
- Sanitizing solution
- Disinfecting solution
Instructions
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Encourage employees to stay home from work when feeling sick. Because no single germ causes the cold, symptoms and intensity can vary greatly. Ask employees to evaluate their condition with workplace productivity and cold prevention in mind. Employees with intense congestion, coughing, sore throat and fever should be persuaded to stay home or leave work to fight the spread of these conditions.
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Establish hand-washing policies and post the information in employee restrooms and break areas. Demonstrate proper hand-washing techniques during staff meetings. Encourage staff to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds using warm, soapy water prior to eating and following activities such as restroom usage. Stock restrooms and break areas with hand-washing supplies, including lidded trashcans.
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Supply the office with cold control and prevention aides. Provide hand sanitizer and tissues throughout the workplace. Keep sanitizing and disinfecting solutions accessible in case of accidents. Assign cleaning and monitoring duties to different departments to ensure that the workplace is continuously assessed.
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Clean workstations and other community areas daily. Use sanitizing and disinfecting solutions to clean common surfaces including doorknobs, phone handles and tables. Allow the solutions to sit on the surfaces for the recommended time to kill and remove most germs. Provide gloves for cleaning and emptying trashcans. Vacuum daily to remove debris and germs from workplace carpeting.
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Protect employees from being infected by customers and clients. Keep employee materials such as pens separate from public usage items. Stock hand sanitizer at each workstation for use following client contact. Providing complimentary tissues to the public can cut down on uncovered coughs and sneezes.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider asking employees to bring their own bottled water, instead of filling up at the workplace water cooler. Encourage employees to eat in designated break areas instead of opting for lunch at their desks.
Avoid pressuring employees to come to work when they're sick. Make arrangements for their shifts and workload to be covered during absences.
