According to a recent report, many businesses across the country have already begun emailing flu shot reminders to employees. Reminding employees that getting a flu shot this year is the best first line of defense against seasonal flu is especially important, as people worldwide brace themselves for a potential H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak.
Some states have reported that employment law attorneys are especially busy fielding calls from HR managers looking to create contingency plans for a flu outbreak. Among employers’ key questions:
? Can we mandate employees get the seasonal or swine flu vaccine?
? Should we segregate sick employees from healthy people?
? Can we require a doctor’s note before an employee returns?
? Should we make temporary adjustments to our sick leave policies to encourage employees to stay home?
These questions underscore the fact that flu season is risky business for companies large and small. Offering a workplace flu clinic is a smart option that can help protect employees and their families from seasonal flu, reduce absenteeism, and discourage presenteeism (when sick employees come to work to avoid lost wages or out of fear for job security). Having a flu clinic on-site helps boost vaccination rates since employees don’t have to take off work or use valuable personal time to get their flu shot.
VaxAmerica, a company on the leading edge of vaccine administration, is making flu vaccination simple for employers by offering turn-key solutions for workplace flu clinics. VaxAmerica is a program of FFF Enterprises, the nation’s largest and most trusted distributor of flu vaccine.
“Flu outbreaks in the workplace can be very costly in terms of healthcare expenditures and lost productivity,” says Nancy Creadon, vice president, VaxAmerica, Inc. “While we’re seeing much higher demand for flu clinics from employer groups this year, we recognize that this is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ program, which is why we make scheduling a flu clinic easy and customizable, with the option of on-site, off-site or a combination of flu clinic locations that fit each employer’s needs.”
VaxAmerica is a nationwide network of care sites enabling the safe, easy and convenient administration of preventive vaccines—even those hard-to-get—to individuals or groups at a convenient location near to them. Known for its national reach and local touch, VaxAmerica has simplified the vaccination process to create cost-effective solutions for patients, healthcare providers and health plans.
With flu outbreaks dominating headline news around the world, now is an excellent time for employers to plan a seasonal flu clinic. Getting employees vaccinated can help protect your valuable workforce and keep business running as usual during flu season.
To protect your business from losses generated by a flu outbreak, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines by practicing good workplace hygiene, encouraging employees to use hand sanitizers whenever possible, and keeping work stations clean and germ-free. Just remember, vaccination is still the best first line of defense against seasonal flu.
