It’s approaching winter, which means the cold and flu season is among us. People are calling out of work sick. Others are coming to work with a nasty cough. You hear nose sniffles and the office can’t seem to keep tissues stocked long enough.

The Flu Affects The Bottom Line

Having the flu or a cold go through the office can be detrimental not only to your employees’ health, but also to the bottom line. If half of your workforce is out sick, efficiency and productivity will be way down. You don’t want your employees to call out of work, but you also don’t want them coming in sick and spreading their germs.

Germs Are Spread Through Surfaces

You might be surprised to know that many colds and flus aren’t actually spread because workers are in too close proximity with one another, but cold and flu germs can be easily spread through shared surfaces like doorknobs, countertops, tables, desks, supplies, and even refrigerators and microwaves. When one sick employee touches a surface and another employee touches that same surface, the germs are spread. Germs are also more likely to live in spaces that are not cleaned on a regular basis.

Sanitize On A Regular Basis

To prevent cold and flu season in your office, it’s important to clean on a regular basis. The cleanliness of an office can have a huge impact on the overall well-being of your workforce. In order to prevent cold and flu season, all surfaces should be wiped down on a regular basis with a green cleaner that is both safe for your employees, but also gets rid of germs. In addition to wiping down surfaces, it’s important to clean shared spaces like bathrooms, break rooms, and kitchens.

Go Further To Tackle The Spread

Anytime someone who is sick touches something, there’s a chance for those germs to be spread. You can educate your employees on hygiene and ask them to not come to work sick, but oftentimes germs can be spread before symptoms even occur. Getting a professional cleaner who knows how to prevent flu and colds is the best route to take in order to prevent office cold and flu season.