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Nationwide Offer to Employers: Free “Coping with Flu” Tip Sheet from LifeCare!

It's that time of year again: flu season—and organizations across the country could see employees taking sick leave in record numbers. To help minimize the potential impact on businesses and employee productivity, LifeCare is now offering employers a free tip sheet entitled, “Coping With the Flu.”

“It’s part of our ongoing efforts to encourage employers to educate workers on basic steps they can take to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from flu,” says LifeCare’s vice president of client relations, Matthew Sydney, who also heads the company’s health and wellness initiatives. “Our tip sheet provides some very basic safeguards—but the basics can make all the difference. Employers can distribute the tip sheets to employees or post them throughout work locations, whatever is most convenient.”

To receive a free copy of the sheet, employers should send their request via e-mail to pr1@lifecare.com. The tip sheet will be sent by e-mail in PDF format; employers can share the document with employees in any way they wish. The Flu’s Impact on Business According to an American Medical Association estimation, the flu costs America's employers $1 billion a year in missed workdays and resulting healthcare costs. Some of these costs are actually avoidable, Sydney notes. How? By making sure employees stick to one small piece of advice: stay home when you're sick. “It almost sounds absurd to point that out but so many people work sick these days that it bears repeating,” Sydney says. “When people show up at work sick, their productivity will be significantly reduced, they’re going to prolong their illness, and they put everyone around them at risk. That can be disastrous when a contagious condition such as the flu is circulating.” Sydney adds that the flu poses “a triple threat” to businesses:   1. the number of sick employees could rise significantly, affecting absenteeism and productivity levels;   2. the number of medical claims filed due to the illness could soar;

Basic Tips for Avoiding the Flu* Wash your hands frequently. This won't kill all germs so avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Start or maintain a reasonable exercise program. (Research suggests this will strengthen your immune system.) Eat a varied, nutritious diet high in vitamins B and C. Get plenty of sleep. Stress can lower your resistance to illness, so take steps to reduce stress (e.g., exercise, meditate, etc.). Avoid overheating your living and working areas. *Gathered from leading health experts such as Centers for Disease Control, Healthwise and others

3. the “Family Factor” could increase exponentially—meaning employees will take sick days due to their children and older loved ones becoming ill.

LifeCare offers its clients a host of health and wellness resources, including web-based tools such as Healthy Living Programs and a state-of-the-art Health Risk Assessment tool; timely articles from respected sources such as Healthwise and Yale New Haven Hospital; and a library of over 150 Blausen medical animations that illustrate human anatomy and medical conditions. If you are not a LifeCare client and would like to know more about our comprehensive health and wellness resources, contact LifeCare at 866-675-3751.