Tips for Preventing the Spread of Sickness at Work

1. Encourage all employees to get a seasonal flu vaccine.

2. Develop and review sick leave policies that encourage sick workers to stay at home without fear of any reprisals.

3. Advise all employees to stay home if they are sick until at least 24 hours after their fever* (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines.

4. Sick employees should be asked to go home. Employees who appear to have a flue symptom upon arrival or become sick during the work day should be promptly separated from others and asked to go home.

5. Instruct employees who are well, but who have a sick family member at home with the flu, that they can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day and notify their supervisor and stay home if they become sick. Employees who have a certain underlying medical condition or who are pregnant should promptly call their health care provider for advice if they become sick.

6. Provide resources and a work environment that promotes preventive actions to reduce the spread of flu. For example, provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, and/or hand sanitizer.

7. Provide resources and education about employees who may be at high risk for serious flu complication, such as pregnant women or adults with a chronic medical condition such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. Flu vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for flu complications. Individuals at high risk for flu complications should seek medical attention right away if they do become sick with flu.

The biggest thing to keep in mind should be a focus year-round, and if a larger outbreak does impact you, you'll be better equipped to handle it.