Are You Making Your Employees Sick?

how to avoid making employees sick work safety

As an employer, you have a real duty to the health of your workforce. Fail in it and not only will you suffer potential legal and financial consequences. You are going to have a business that is unsustainable. Sick leave will continue to creep up. Motivation and productivity will be low. Staff retention rates will continue to drop. To avoid the inevitable failings of a sick business, you have to better help the sick staff.

Reduce The Burdens Of The Job 

Every job demands something physically of the person doing it. In high impact positions like working on a construction site or in a manufacturing line, that’s clear. But it’s even the case in offices. 

For instance, the risk of repetitive strain injury and musculoskeletal damage caused by sitting at a desk without ergonomic furniture and regular breaks is becoming clear. But even jobs involving talking on the phone can lead to vocal chord damage and voice loss in call centers and other talk-heavy environments. Learn the risks, adapt to them, and keep employees protected as best as possible. 

Think About Where They Work 

The work environment itself can contribute to poor health in a more passive manner but that doesn’t mean the risk is any less real. A lack of indoor air quality, particularly in a place with a lot of people or chemicals, can lead to sick building syndrome. Improving said air quality with better commercial HVAC can reduce the risk of respiratory disease, as well as reducing the chances of one sick employee spreading their illness through the whole office. 

Other factors making employees sick are a lack of hand sanitizer at desks, greasy or slippery floors, unsanitary kitchens and toilets, and more. Keeping the workplace clean isn’t just about making it presentable. It makes a real difference to employee health. 

Contribute To A Healthier Life 

If you have full-time employees, then their role is taking up a significant portion of their life. When they go home, not everyone is going to have the energy to go to the gym or cook a healthy meal. With a health & fitness program in the office, you can help them make meaningful progress towards a better condition they might have trouble maintaining otherwise. 

Take Stress Seriously 

Too many employers think it’s okay to induce stress in employees because it often does help them see positive results. However, it’s not sustainable. Not only does stress make them genuinely sick by contributing to a myriad of pains and health problems. Stressed employees are much more likely to get into the habit of taking sick leave simply because they find the work environment unbearable. 

Take steps to help them combat stress, instead. Communicate and socialize with them. Give them a real break room away from their desks and the pressures of the work. Consider allowing for more flexible work arrangements like flexi-time and remote working

Workplace Wellness

You should be focusing on improving and protecting employee staff simply because it’s the decent thing to do. The fact that you’ll be improving work rate, job satisfaction, and the reliability of your team are just bonuses. But they’re bonuses well worth pursuing.



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I hope you enjoyed this article about how to avoid making your employees sick and reducing productivity.

Interested in more articles about employee management?

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