With seasonal illness occurrence expected to continue this year, following a resurgence particularly after the reopening of international borders in 2022, Reckitt Pro Solutions wants to help ensure businesses across Australia are able to help protect their staff and customers this flu season.
Over the past three years, businesses across a wide range of industries have faced challenges – from staff shortages in Victoria through to inflation. In January, one of Australia’s warmest months, around 90,000 to 100,000 people are usually away from work due to sickness for an entire week. However, in January 2022, we saw that number jump to around 450,000 people per week.
Reckitt Pro Solutions understands the importance of running and maintaining holistically successful businesses, but also acknowledges there are many different factors at play. Following and committing to a rigorous hygiene and cleaning program can offer businesses the opportunity to provide a better environment for staff.
Here are a few simple ways that you can promote positive hygiene habits across your business to ensure your staff and visitors are protected from the spread of germs:
- Work closely alongside cleaning teams to identify high-traffic areas and hotspots within spaces, aligning on the frequency at which they need to be disinfected with efficacious and efficient products.
- Remind employees to stay home if they are unwell.
- Encourage and remind employees to keep their hands clean, washing their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Importance of this peaks during crucial times such as after using the restroom, following a commute and before eating.
- If washing hands isn’t possible, encourage staff to carry hand sanitiser on their person. Research has shown that high-touch points such as door handles and hand dryers can become contaminated by dirty hands, which can be transferred to the hands of the next people who touch them.
- Continuously assess the effectiveness of initiatives and programs by collecting feedback from employees, monitoring sick leave trends, and making adjustments as necessary.
The Australian treasury estimated that 31,000 people missed work each day in the month of June 2022 alone, due to ongoing health issues associated to contracting COVID-19. If establishing a healthy workplace isn’t prioritised, the costs associated with sick leave, and needing to replace those workers can lead to a potential productivity issue that can impact the overall business.
Jonathan Weiss is Commercial Director for Global Business Solutions for ANZ & EU at Reckitt.