| Swallowing slices open your throat, congested sinuses | | | | Insurance premiums may rise |
| trip hammer in your head and you can hardly croak | | | | Potential overtime for healthy employees |
| out your name to answer your office phone. Yet you | | | | Cost of temporary workers on top of the sick |
| do, because you have dragged your sorry self into | | | | person's salary |
| work - even though your bed was calling you back to | | | | 4) Admin/ HR Costs |
| its comforting sanctuary. | | | | Documentation of absences |
| Whatever happened to the days when we faked a | | | | Staff redeployment |
| cold to get out of going to school?! | | | | Securing temporary staff; building a pool of casual |
| According to several studies they are gone - long | | | | workers |
| gone. As reported by L.M. Sixel of the Houston | | | | So what can you do to cut down on the germ |
| Chronicle News Service (13/12/2006), "according to the | | | | spreading - and on the costs associated with |
| study of human resource executives, 66 percent of | | | | absenteeism? |
| sick employees come to work because they're | | | | As an employer: |
| worried about missing important deadlines, while 56 | | | | Send sick people home. If they have a rattling |
| percent have no one to cover for them... Another | | | | cough, are sneezing and/or are running a fever, they |
| problem: 25 percent report their company cultures | | | | need to be at home. In bed. Not working. End of story. |
| discourage them from calling in sick." | | | | Don't hurry people back to work after a day or |
| So why is this a problem? Aren't companies trying to | | | | two - they are still run down, and likely still contagious. |
| decrease absenteeism? Maybe. But their real goal is | | | | Let them work from home for a couple of days. |
| to optimize productivity and profitability. | | | | Pay for knowledge employees and other key |
| Sick employees are less effective than healthy ones | | | | staff to have laptops with wireless connections at |
| and far more likely to make mistakes According to Dr. | | | | home - make it possible for them to keep up while |
| Peter Ainsley, "a sick employee is about as effective | | | | keeping their germs away. |
| as one whose had a 3-martini lunch - and twice as | | | | As appropriate, create teams (or partnerships) so |
| likely to mess up." Yet, they keep showing up at work, | | | | that it is easy for someone to cover the tasks |
| spreading their germs and costing their employers | | | | normally undertaken by an absent employee. |
| money - all in a misguided attempt to honour their work | | | | Provide hand sanitizers, Kleenex for people's |
| commitments. | | | | desktops and paper towels for the kitchen (rather than |
| In 2004, an extensive study showed that "work | | | | cloth tea towels). |
| slowdowns caused by illness on the job, known as | | | | Institute a health & wellness program at work and |
| "presenteeism," may account for up to 60% of | | | | reward healthy habits. |
| employer health costs" and that "the costs of | | | | Choose a health plan that covers vitamin and |
| presenteeism were far greater than other | | | | mineral supplements |
| employer-related health care costs, such as | | | | Make sure your heating and ventilation system are |
| absenteeism or health and disability benefits." (Goetzel, | | | | providing adequate fresh air so the germs don't just |
| R. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, | | | | keep recirculating. (Note: SolarWall's transpired solar |
| April 2004; vol 46. News release, Cornell University.) | | | | collector offers an excellent means to improve a |
| Eventually though, the sick ones succumb and stay | | | | building's indoor air quality, while helping to reduce |
| home - often taking others with them. On average, for | | | | heating cost and reduce greenhouse gas emissions - |
| every day that a person shows up at work sick, there | | | | and there are government grants to offset its |
| are four other related worker absences. And | | | | installation.) |
| absenteeism costs have been rising inexorably over | | | | As an employee: |
| the past decade. According to Statistics Canada, | | | | If you're sick, stay home! You'll get better faster |
| absenteeism costs employers in excess of 15 billion | | | | than if you go in. |
| dollars a year. | | | | Stay in bed drinking fluids and resting for the first |
| How can that be you ask? 4 main reasons: | | | | couple of days. Don't work and don't do household |
| 1) Decreased Productivity | | | | chores. |
| Employees who have to pick up others' slack get | | | | While at work, wash your hands frequently. Use a |
| behind on their own work | | | | hand sanitizer (lots of nasty germs live on doorknobs, |
| Training or orienting temporary workers reduces | | | | phones and desktops). |
| time regular employees can devote to their own work | | | | Wash your coffee cup right away; don't let it sit in |
| Returning employees take time to catch-up and | | | | a sink where it can come into contact with someone |
| gear-up again | | | | else's cold germs. |
| If a large number of people get sick, or the cold | | | | Sounds kind of obvious, but... avoid sick people. If |
| cycles through a department, morale and output can | | | | your colleague is hacking and sneezing at lunch, sit |
| drop by as much as 30%, according to M. Browning, a | | | | elsewhere. |
| researcher at St. Mary's Hospital. | | | | Starting to feel run down, as though you may be |
| 2) Lost Opportunity Costs | | | | on the verge of getting a cold? Take care of yourself |
| At a time when knowledge workers are a highly | | | | and you may be able to keep it at bay. Eat well (fruits, |
| valued corporate asset, every day's absence can | | | | veggies and lean meats) and get to bed early (8 - 10 |
| have a serious impact on future losses. | | | | hours sleep) until you feel 100% again. |
| 3) Financial Impact | | | | Most of all, use common sense. |
| Lower output potential | | | | |