With the autumn gone and the winter soon to be taking shape, the sound of coughs and sniffles will be reverberating around the workplace and sure to steal us of a few working days too. This will happen to all businesses, but there are simple ways to reduce the chances of employees getting sick by taking easy steps to create a healthier office environment.

Before we get to that, though, lets take a look at exactly how illness and workplace absences impact the business landscape in the U.K.

Sickness in the Workplace – the Stats

The most stark stat of them all is that 149 million work days were lost in 2021 alone. Yet while this may sound a lot in principle, in actual fact that averages to just less than 5 days per employee (4.9) per year. These stats, brough together by Safe Workers, compares our number to Europe. And the comparison is fairly grand. The UK has the 7th least sickness days in Europe, and compares favourably to Germany, who have over 18 (18.2) per year. Now, from an employee basis, this isn’t necessarily a great thing. There’s a chance that staff think they need to work even when they are too sick.

The cost of sick days in the U.K. is astronomically high. With all things included, those 149 million sick days costs the U.K. economy over £100 billion a year. This figure is wild, and only goes to wonder how much it costs the rest of Europe.

6 Tips for a Healthier Workplace:

  1. Provide sanitiser and soap and a place to dry hands
  2. Allow people to work from home when they’re sick – reduces sickness in work
  3. Use air purifiers to tackle sickness
  4. Ensure you have an open-door policy on difficulties/mental health issues
  5. Creating health clubs and workshops for employees
  6. Create a community of employees that care

Provide Sanitiser, Soap and a Place to Dry Hands

This may seem like a very basic thing to provide, but many places don’t keep check on which of these they provide. Between a lack of hot water, bad soap provisions and nowhere to dry hands, many workplace bathrooms aren’t up to standard.

Allow People to Work From Home When Sick

One of the main reasons why workplaces become Petrea dishes for sickness is because those who are unwell force themselves to come into work. Then they spread their illness all around. By allowing people to judge whether they are too unwell to come to the workspace, you will experience less sickness and problem less sick days.

Use Air Purifiers to Tackle Sickness

Air purifiers can be a heaven-sent to your business. Used to filter the bacteria out from your premises with a fan system, it cleans germs from indoor spaces and reduces the risk of illness. While pretty hefty in price to buy one, Direct365 offer air purifying services on a contract basis. That means we install the system and keep it in working order with frequent maintenance throughout the contract. At a low cost, and a effective outcome, you could seriously reduce the chances of frequent sickness in your workplace. Click here to find out more about our air purifying services.

Have an Open Door Policy on Sickness and Wellbeing Talk

Health isn’t just physical. Stress, anxiety and other mental health and wellbeing situations can mean someone isn’t well. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Ensure you have an open door policy on illness, whether it be physical or mental. Your employees will be much more calm and relaxed at your business than if you were more closed off. Trust us.

Create Health Clubs and Workshops for Employees

Showing employees how they can become healthier is a sure fire way to motivate them. Creating hubs or workshop spaces for workers to get advice on health, fitness and wellbeing can guide them into making better choices.

Create a Community of Employees that Care

The best way to reduce sickness and create a healthier office is by having employees that want to create that too. Having people who are conscious of each other and that care is what a good company and community does. Ensure during your hiring process that you’re looking to recruit those who want to contribute to the culture of your business will help bring about a more healthy, caring workspace.

Why Employers with a Focus on Health and Wellbeing Will Prosper

Employers that focus more on health and wellbeing will prosper in a few ways. Firstly, you will do less recruiting because employees will notice and appreciate the efforts you go to in caring about them. Next, you’ll find that more time in work from more people will mean more happy customers, more money and then in turn more success for your business. These may be two simple ways of seeing things but they are the positive upsides of a functioning, healthy and happy workforce. Simple but effective.

How can Direct365 Help?

Direct365 offer the best in workplace hygiene and essential services like waste collection, risk assessment and fire safety. Whether it is our monthly services or one-off purchases, Direct365 can help your business become healthier for longer. Just click here to discover our central hub for essential workplace services.

 

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