By the end of a football season, it’s not uncommon to hear coaches say everyone on the roster is playing hurt. The message is clear: injuries aren’t going to be an excuse.
In the middle of winter, it’s also not uncommon to hear everyone around the office sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and hacking. People come to work sick even when they’ve been told not to, and “I’m not going to let a little cold get in the way …” is a frequent refrain. That’s admirable, but why?
One of the biggest challenges with cold and flu season is that employees continually come into the office when they’re sick, notes Sasha Truckenbrod, branch manager of OfficeTeam in Madison. According to an OfficeTeam survey, even though 82% of human resources managers have encouraged staff to stay home when they’re sick, 85% of employees come into the office anyway. Other highlights:
- 36% of those who showed up to work while ill did so because they felt well enough to do their jobs; another 32% didn’t want to fall behind on assignments.
- 42% of employees said their biggest pet peeve during cold and flu season is when someone comes in sick.
- Another 42% are most annoyed when those around them don’t cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing.
“Most people are well intentioned,” Truckenbrod says. “They come in even when they aren’t feeling well because they don’t want to fall behind in their work or burden colleagues who cover for them. However, they risk spreading their illness to others and affecting the entire team. Employers should encourage staff to stay home if they are under the weather and provide tips on what employees can do to prevent the spread of illness in general.”
Some obvious drawbacks to coming into work sick include inadvertently getting colleagues ill, being less productive, and delaying your recovery time, further impacting your team or department’s productivity.
Of course, a major caveat to actually getting employees to stay home sick is workers with enough paid sick time. Often, workers who should stay home don’t because they don’t have any or enough paid time off.
According to an article from Marketplace.org, health-policy advocates point out that Americans often have close direct contact with those sick workers who are least likely to get paid sick leave. That includes restaurant workers (just 24%) and retail workers (47%), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Calling in sick for these workers often means losing a day of wages, or even risking being fired.
“Showing up sick and underperforming at work, or even damaging equipment or products because of diminished capacity or the effects of medication, is known as presenteeism in HR-parlance,” notes Marketplace. “The Centers for Disease Control reports lost productivity from illness costs employers $225 billion annually; and it cites data from the Harvard Business Review that the cost of presenteeism is $150 billion or higher.”
Workers at the top of the income scale, such as managers and other professionals, are most likely to receive paid sick leave, notes Marketplace. The rate is 84% among the top quartile of income-earners whereas just 30% of earners in the bottom quartile get paid sick time.
While some jobs or work tasks cannot be performed remotely, many others can. When workers say they’re not so sick that they can’t still perform their jobs, they may be right. The best course of action, however, would be for managers to encourage employees to work from home whenever possible. This can obviously allow workers to retain sick days that might be in short supply for times they are unable to work. It’s also best achieved when managers model this behavior themselves.
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Just sick of winter
There may also be times when employees aren’t actually sick — they’re just over the winter season.
Leaving home to tackle a commute during cold, brisk weather can put a damper on an employee’s mood before they even arrive at the office, notes Truckenbrod. In addition to the cold weather, it’s also the shorter hours of daylight that can influence one’s outlook. This brutal combination can affect workers’ job productivity and motivation.
According to a recent survey by Accountemps, 38% of professionals cited winter weather as having a negative impact on their mood/happiness at work. Overall, workers ranked January as the least happy month at work.
“Professionals should be aware of their moods during the winter season and pay attention to how they’re feeling this time of year,” Truckenbrod advises. “Employees can do simple things to help overcome the winter doldrums in the office, such as staying active, being social, and setting career goals for the coming year.”
Some tips for workers to help beat the winter blues and boost mood and productivity at work:
- Stay active — Take a brisk walk outside or hit the gym during lunch to clear your mind and sharpen your awareness to tackle the next project.
- Be social — Take a break from your desk to connect with your co-workers. Grab a coffee with your colleague or stop by the break room to catch up on office news.
- Set goals for the year — Now is the time to think about your career goals and what you would like to accomplish. Do you want learn a new skill or gain a new certificate?
- Eat healthy — Stave off hunger before your next meal with a handful of nuts or fresh fruit. It’s better for your body and mind than the sugary, high-caloric selections in the vending machine.
- Pursue professional development — As part of your new year goal setting, explore and attend seminars or workshops to advance your knowledge and gain new skills.
- Take vacation days — Take time away from the office to re-energize so you can come back refreshed and ready to take on the next big work challenge.
- Remember that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Spring and summer are around the corner. Use this time to catch up on projects or prepare for future time off.
Managers can also keep employees engaged and motived by regularly checking in with them to make sure their workloads are balanced, says Truckenbrod. Encourage professional growth by offering development and training opportunities and giving assignments that stretch employees in their skills and experience.
“Focus on the fundamentals when it comes to happiness,” Truckenbrod says. “Having pride in your organization is much more important than having a game room at work or a free lunch. Those are nice perks, but they don’t make up for dull work or a terrible corporate culture.”
If the employer allows it, telecommuting may help lift the spirit of workers and allow them to be more productive on the job, notes Truckenbrod. Also, an employer can offer flexible schedules to accommodate workers’ preferences, giving them options to enjoy the daylight hours. That could mean coming into the office earlier so they can enjoy the daylight hours on their way home, or vice versa.
“In either of these two cases, employers should let their staff know that they should be working the same number of hours in a more flexible manner,” says Truckenbrod. “These options can help workers become more engaged and motivated on the job during this time of year.”
Some final tips for achieving health and wellness in 2018 include:
- Drinking more water instead of beverages with lots of sugar and caffeine;
- Bringing healthy snacks to work — avoid overindulging in what’s in the break room, candy jar, or vending machine;
- Take a walk outside or exercise at the gym during lunch, or try some at-desk exercises;
- Schedule walking meetings;
- Sleep better (and more) by disconnecting before bed, and consider the benefits of taking a power nap occasionally if your company encourages them; and
- Focus on desk ergonomics and posture. Look into getting a standing or treadmill desk.
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