06 March 2007 2 min

Winter brings its own unique Wellness challenges

Written by: Marc Ashton Save to Instapaper
{pp}With winter around the corner HR departments are scratching their heads trying to assess the impact the change of season will have on their workforce. 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 productsThis 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.Rival Industrial Wellness Division offers a complete solution to HR Managers including:Workshops- Staff Education- Flu Vaccinations- Strategies for Management to implementContact Details:Paula Barnard 011 673-4423 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.www.rival.co.za
Total Words: 369
Published in Science and Education