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Traditionally winter brings a
higher incidence of absenteeism
and to a lesser degree
presenteeism (The employee
arrives but is less productive).
It is estimated in the US that
presenteeism costs companies
over US$100 million per year.
Typical examples of loss of
productivity include:
-
Abundance of various strains
of Flu resulting in lack of
physical performance at work
-
Flu tends to spread quickly
through an office
environment resulting in a
"knock-on" affect to
employees
-
Manufacturing Industries can
be hit even harder as
employees displaying Flu
like symptoms are unable to
work around raw materials
and Chemical / Food /
Pharmaceutical / Cosmetic
Products
-
Cold weather discourages
attendance at work resulting
in increases of sick days
-
Winter often results in a
decrease in physical
activity and "maintenance"
resulting in a weaker immune
system
-
The same could be said of
dietary management and
intake of nutrition products
This is not only a threat to
Management level employees but
to your factory and lower level
employees. They tend to be more
susceptible to viruses such as
Flu as they often do not have
the resources to manage their
health as efficiently.
How can HR departments respond?
-
Educate the workforce around
Flu and similar viruses
-
Ensure the workforce has
been vaccinated or received
"Booster shots"
-
Monitor the workforce for
signs of ill health
-
Advise staff on appropriate
nutrition strategies to
carry them through winter.
About
Rival Wellness
Rival Industrial Wellness
Division offers a complete
solution to HR Managers
including:
-
Workshops
-
Staff Education
-
Flu Vaccinations
-
Strategies for Management to
implement
For further information please
contact Paula Barnard on 011
673-4423 or via e-mail (paula@rival.co.za)
Disclaimer
We at Rival Industrial cc aim to present a variety of views through our publications. The views expressed in the articles posted on our web-sites represent the view/s of the author only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the advertisers.
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