At many workplaces, the yearly flu season can be bad for morale and a serious impediment to business. Many of us confuse a bad cold with the flu, but whereas a cold can knock you off your feet for a couple of days, the ramifications of a bout of flu can be felt for up to three weeks. Having an employee off work for up to a week can have enough of a detrimental effect, but often a returning employee still may not be able to perform to the best of their ability. Plus, if they return to work too early, they could spread the infection to their colleagues.

Here are a few ways in which your office can help to battle the bug this year.

1. Keep surfaces clean

It may seem obvious but ensuring that surfaces have been adequately cleaned is the number one way to limit the spread of illness. A professional cleaning company will be able to complete a cleaning audit to ensure they tackle all areas of concern. Telephone receivers, computer accessories, light switches and door handles are commonly missed spots that need special attention to limit the spread of germs.

2. Ensure you have adequate facilities

Minimising the spread of germs depends on ensuring that your employees have access to adequate hand-washing facilities. Well-stocked and regularly cleaned washrooms are essential to minimising the spread of germs. As an extra measure, you can provide hand sanitiser gel in relevant places, so your colleagues can keep sanitised between washroom breaks.

3. Don’t forget the hard to reach places

Well used surfaces are the most obvious places to find germs, and by and large these are covered in your standard cleaning plans and are cleaned to a standard that miniseries risk. What’s often overlooked are the awkward, hard to reach places or not so obvious hotspots that can be harbouring years’ worth of bacteria. Air conditioner or fans, photocopiers, door knobs, water dispensers, all of those items that are used daily, but we might not think to clean as often.

4. Know the difference

Part of cleaning effectively is knowing when to use what products to ensure the best clean. In most cases, soap, water and a good scrub is enough to clean dirt, grime and bacteria. This is not to say that chemicals and antibacterial products don’t have their place, but there are concerns that they are contributing to antibiotic resistance bacteria.  Knowing the difference between when to use each type of cleaner will not only help to prevent the spread of germs, it can also help reduce your costs and be more environmentally friendly.

5. Call in the experts

To ensure that your office is kept to the highest cleaning standards, why not leave it to the professionals? Hiring a professional cleaning company to provide daily cleaning services will ensure the cleanliness of your office, helping to limit the usual suspects in flu transmission, and that the right cleaning products are used in the right scenarios. It’s a great way to get peace of mind, and to ensure you’re doing all you can to protect your team.
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