Flu season is nearly upon us, and employers should be thinkingabout what steps they can take to make sure their workplaces arehealthy and productive in the coming months.

Flu, of course, leads to loss of productivity and disruption atthe workplace. But even though flu season is unavoidable, there aresteps an employer can take to reduce the burden that flu seasoncreates. Taking some proactive steps can keep your workershealthier and more productive.

Seasonal flu extracts a high price.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu isresponsible for more than $87 billion in total economic costs eachyear in the U.S., and for the loss of close to 17 million workdayseach year. The agency says the flu accounts for more than $10billion in direct medical expenses annually and an additional $16billion in lost earnings.

Employers, public health officials say, can play an importantrole in preventing the spread of flu, protecting the health ofemployees and their families, and reducing the loss of productivityand revenue that can come with the seasonal illness.

Get employeesvaccinated

According to the CDC, the single best way to prevent employeesfrom getting the flu is to help them get the flu vaccine, which isavailable either by injection or by nasal spray. The CDC provides arange of resources to help employers fight the flu. The agency'stop two recommendations: Host a flu vaccination in the workplaceand promote flu vaccination in the community.

Jennifer Heath, director of the Minnesota Department of Health'sFluSafe program, notes that by getting vaccinated at work,employees also will protect their families — including very youngchildren and older adults, who are more at risk of getting the flu.In Minnesota, MDH has had excellent results partnering withbusinesses to set up onsite clinics, she says.

“With working adults, we know they're not routinely seekingmedical care,” Heath says. “The key to getting them vaccinated isconvenience. And one of the most convenient places to be vaccinatedis in the workplace.”

Other strategies forprevention

Stephen Morris, an official with the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration, says there are several steps businesses can take toprepare for flu season. These include:

Identifying a workplace coordinator who can oversee allflu-related issues, including reaching out to local healthofficials or implementing work protocols during a flu outbreak.

Re-examining leave and telework policies. Managers and employeesalike should be up-to-date on policies such as paid sick leave andtelecommuting. Workers with sick children or children home duringschool closures may still be able to contribute if a teleworksystem is in place. Morris also calls for ensuring nonpunitive,flexible policies are in place to help employees affected by fluseason.

Identify essential employees and essential business functions,and have an emergency communication plan ready to go. “Make plansto maintain communication and ensure clear work direction withcritical personnel and vendors (and even customers) in the eventthat the supply chain is broken or other unpredictable disruptionsoccur,” Morris said.

Post signs about flu prevention or host a flu shot clinic. Inaddition, Morris said, employers should educate workers on thecompany's flu and pandemic plans.

Prepare business continuity plans.

“Absenteeism or other workplace changes need to be addressedearly on so you can maintain business operations,” Morris said,adding that the Small Business Administration website offers tipsand resources for businesses.

Stay home!

Although every business wants to be at full strength,personnel-wise, there are obvious downsides to having sick workersspreading germs around the office. Heath notes that in many cases,it's not employers who are the problem, but employees.

“Employees might feel guilty that they're not coming to work, orthat they're not getting their work done,” she said.

Heath says an important strategy for reducing the impact of fluis simply encouraging people to take time off if they're ill.

“For the workplace, one of the most important things is havingpeople stay home when they're sick,” she said. “Presenteeism — whenpeople come to work while they're sick — is a huge problem, and itspreads influenza. Helping employees know when they should stayhome is pretty important.”

Investing in healtheducation

Jodi Annis, manager of screening services for StayWell, a healthengagement solutions company based in St. Paul, Minn., saidemployers who invest in flu prevention and education are showing acommitment to the health of employees. She added that employers ofany size can benefit from strategies to prevent flu.

“In addition to, or in lieu of, providing onsite clinics orvouchers for the flu vaccine, consider posting educationalinformation to remind people to take simple precautions to stop thespread of the flu,” Annis said. “Things like washing your hands,using hand sanitizer, not coughing into your hands, staying home ifyou are sick — these are all actions that have proven to be helpfulagainst the spread of the flu.”

Like Heath and Morris, Annis stressed communication as anessential part of flu prevention efforts.

“Make sure your flu prevention events are communicated viachannels that work for your employee population — email foremployees with regular computer and Internet access, or dailynewsletters, team meetings or signage for employees who are in thefield or not at a desk all day,” she said. “Communications shoulddemonstrate what's in it for the employee, which can help ensurethat by the day of your event, everyone who wants a flu shot knowswhen and where the clinic will be, and they will have made plans totake time away from work to get one.”

Another tool for employers, Heath says, is a state healthdepartment's flu surveillance resources, which can alert the publicto how severe the flu is in different parts of the state.

“Flu is always tricky; it's very unpredictable,” Heath said. “Wehave no idea how severe the season is going to be until we startseeing cases. [With surveillance], employers can track what's goingon with the flu around the state.”