Does Your Company have an “Illness Plan”?
There has been a great deal of talk and coverage in the media recently about swine flu. Regardless if this epidemic reaches becomes as wide spread as we once thought it was headed, the flu season is still almost upon us. This alone can cause concern for any organization. Is your company ready to deal?
It is always a nuisance and an inconvenience at the very least when an employee, whether one of fifty or one of five hundred calls out sick. The missing employee’s work must be covered, perhaps even meetings have to be rescheduled and deadlines missed. However allowing a sick employee to stay on the job can be worse in the long run.
All companies have one. The “hero” employee, who drags themselves to work even if they have a 103 degree fever and can barely stand up. They do not want (or are afraid) to “let the team down.” It is a noble sentiment and it is tempting to let them try to see the day out, especially if everyone is busy.
Consider this though: Apart from the obvious of infecting others in the office; how much work are they really going to be able to accomplish anyway? A person with a bad cold or flu is usually operating at a less than normal capacity and their work will suffer.
Instead, encourage employees to stay at home when they are sick, for everybody’s benefit. Make a plan now for who will cover who’s work if someone is out. And most of all make sure that you, as the boss, set the right example. The office will still be standing if you also allow yourself to stay home; especially if you have a “illness plan” already in place.
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