During flu season, it can be all too easy to pass the flu virus around your workplace. In close quarters with a lot of people, flu viruses can spread with ease. Hopefully, you avoid getting the flu this year. But if you do come down with the sickness, here are a few simple ways to keep your coworkers from catching it from you.
Stay home if needed: While it's often tempting to push through an illness and continue to go to work every day, heading into the office is only going to make you feel worse. Furthermore, going to work is going to significantly increase the risk of infecting your coworkers. So if you come down with the flu, stay home! If needed, you can ask your boss if you can work from home or conference call into meetings. But staying home when you're sick is the best thing you can do for yourself and your coworkers.
Avoid contact with others: If you do go into work, it's important to avoid close contact with others in the office. Don't be afraid to tell people you're sick and that they should stay away. If you're in meetings or work in close quarters, make sure to cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing and use plenty of hand sanitizer. Avoid touching other people and their belongings whenever possible -- while sharing is caring, that's not the case with the flu virus.
Keep your work area clean: Thorough cleaning should at the top of every employee's "to do" list during cold and flu season. Keeping your work area is crucial in preventing the spreading of the flu. It's important to remember that flu viruses can live and survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours. This means that if someone touches something in your workspace even if you clean once a week, the virus could still spread. Investing in commercial office cleaning services can be an easy way to help employees keep their areas clean. With the right commercial office cleaning services, employees can rest assured that their work area is cleaned with professional supplies and is as germ-free as possible.
While it may seem impossible to prevent the flu from making its way around the office, there are easy ways to keep it as contained as possible. So with proper hygiene, staying home when needed, and investing in janitorial services, you can help keep your coworkers flu-free.
