The cold and flu season is always a challenging time to keep your workplace safe and healthy. The New England area has already seen increasing cases of influenza, and unfortunately, the season is far from over! Every year, it is estimated that the cold and flu season costs businesses $10.4 billion in medical expenses and an additional $16.4 billion in annual lost earnings. With many workers admitting to going to work sick, it’s not surprising that over 70% of employees catch a cold or flu at work and the CDC estimates that there were over 37 million cases of flu illnesses in the US last year. The best way to keep your employees safe, healthy, and protected is to educate your employees about flu prevention, so it’s important to get the facts straight.

Did You Know These Flu Facts?

1. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an average of 5 to 20% of Americans gets the flu each year.

2. Last year, the flu resulted in between 36,400 and 61,200 deaths.

3. There were about 531,000 flu-related hospitalizations last season.

4. The flu can cost you an average of $130 in medical costs and $1,714 in lost wages.

5. On average, 17 million workdays are missed from illness each year.

6. 79% of workers admit to going to work while sick.

7. 52% of workers think going to work while sick makes them “hardworking and committed.”

8. The average work surface has over 400 times the germs of a toilet seat.

9. Only 15% of workers clean their workspace once a week or more.

10. To prevent the spread of germs, you need to wash your hands with hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds.

11. You are contagious for 2 days prior and up to 7 days after symptoms appear.

12. Every 30 minutes, the average person touches 300 surfaces, exposing themselves to 840,000 germs.

13. The top 3 dirtiest areas of an office are: break room faucet handles, microwave door handles, and computer keyboards.

14. The flu vaccine has been reported to lead to a 30-60% reduction in risk for developing the flu.

15. The WHO reports that washing hands often makes you 24% less likely to catch a respiratory illness and up to 50% less likely to get a stomach bug.

Be proactive about flu prevention!

It’s clear that the key to keeping your employees healthy is to encourage vaccinations, keep sick workers home, and to provide a clean, sanitary work environment. Tackling these tasks can get overwhelming, especially during the holiday season, so contact our commercial cleaning professionals at New England Cleaning Services, Inc. to get cleaning help! We provide services to the eastern Massachusetts area and our highly-trained cleaning pros can perform routine cleanings and project services to keep your facility safe and healthy for all! Visit our website or call our Waltham, MA office at (781) 890-2000 today for a quote or to schedule a cleaning! Don’t let the flu attack your commercial facility.