An Employer’s Guide to Flu Season
Flu germs are everywhere people gather, and it can be difficult to avoid them. People with the flu can spread germs to others 6 feet away.
These suggestions should help employers follow positive steps to minimize contagion in the work place:
- Educate Employees about the safety of vaccinations and why it might be wise to get the flu vaccine.
- Offer a flu shot program with free shots for all staff. Among U.S. employers, 80% offer a free or discounted flu vaccination program to their employees.
- Encourage sick employees to stay home.
- Create and put a policy in place for flu season. Follow CDC recommendations of 24 hours without fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
Employers can mandate flu shots for employees but should condition their policy for exceptions for certain medical conditions or religious beliefs.
Help Your Employees Find Meaning in their Work
We’ve all read stories of, if not knowing some-one personally who burned out and quit their longtime career. The work was no longer meaningful to their lives. Meaningful work is described as having a purpose or being significant.
In order to keep good employees, companies need to pay more attention to their purpose, values, mission, ideology and culture. Keeping good staff is about more than the financial aspect of the business.
Companies should make sure they live their mission statement. It’s nice to tell employees that a business is all about helping the community. But people want to see them actually fulfilling the mission and encouraging staff to participate.
One site suggests ways managers can create meaning at work for staff and upper management:
- Show your staff that their work matters. Introduce them to their customers and help them to understand the importance they bring to these clients.
- Create a learning environment where the staff can experience growth in their fields.
- Build self-esteem and help your staff to feel valuable and appreciated.
- Encourage your employees to help create a more meaningful workplace to promote a better community around them.
- Help each member of the team find the position in the workplace and let them know how important they and what they do are to the overall success of the company.
Emerging Trends
Technology is driving trends for 2020.
- According to 2020 workplace theory, over 36% of the work force will consist of people born after the baby boomer generation.
- Employees are projected to stay longer in the workforce in coming years, which means as many as 5 generations could be working together in collaborative teams.
- Globalization and virtual workplaces will play an increasing role in the changing landscape of the workplace.