According to a fourth annual survey from Staples Advantage, 90 percent of employees go to work despite being sick. With flu season starting, it’s time to think about how to prevent sharing the flu, and keeping employees healthy. Staples recommends these easy steps to help maintain a healthier work environment: 1. Offer/encourage a telecommuting program to prevent sick workers coming to the office. 2. Stock up on sanitizing wipes and antibacterial soaps, as well as consider installing touch-free restroom fixtures to avoid unnecessary contact with germs. 3. Educate your workers on how often they should clean their desks, how long to stay home when sick and what areas in the office need to be frequently disinfected.

1. 10 Jobs at Risk of Flu
According to a fourth annual survey from
Staples Advantage, 90 percent of
employees go to work despite being sick.
With flu season starting, it’s time to think
about how to prevent sharing the flu, and
keeping employees healthy.
While all workplaces are at risk during flu season, those more likely to come in
contact with the virus than others should be even more aware of how to keep
germs in check. Here are ten jobs most likely to have contact with the flu virus.
Some might surprise you, some might not, but they’ve all made the list for a
variety of reasons, including:
• High exposure to germs from both people and objects;
• Hectic travel schedules; and
• High levels of workplace stress.

2. Doctors and Nurses
It goes without saying that they are constantly in the presence of and interacting
with people who are unhealthy. Germs are carried on their hands and clothes.

3. Teachers
Teachers are exposed to a very high amount of germs carried by the children in
the classroom – the germs are all over desktops and homework papers.

4. Retail Store Employees
They are not only in contact with a lot of people on a daily basis, but likely handle
cash and credit cards that carry germs.

5. Sanitation Workers
Sanitation workers literally deal with waste throughout their day, making it incredibly
difficult to avoid germs.

6. Mortuary Employees
Funeral home directors and staff deal directly with many individuals who have been
visiting ill family members in hospitals who likely carried germs.

7. Flight Attendants
When someone is sick, they usually don’t stay home if they have a flight to catch. Flight
attendants spend hours each day in enclosed spaces with them.

8. Bank Employees
Bank tellers and other staff are constantly handling pieces of currency, many of which are
carrying germs and viruses.

9. IT Support/Computer Repair
Keyboards and computer mice are cleaned very infrequently and can carry a high amount
of germs. Working with technology that is frequently used by other people is a dangerous
job.

10. Business Executives
Frequently have heavy travel schedules, long work hours and little sleep – all adding up
to a higher likelihood of coming down with the flu.

11. Air Traffic Controllers
High stress levels make people much more vulnerable to illness, and air traffic controllers
have one of the most stressful jobs possible.

12. How to Stay Healthy
This year’s flu survey revealed at least 8 in 10 employees believe they are responsible for
their own health during flu season, and their primary sources for flu-related knowledge
are doctors and news media. Employers and facility managers can help educate staff and
become another authority on how to stay healthy during flu season, so that employees
feel they have someone watching out for them at work during flu season.
Staples recommends these easy steps to help maintain a healthier work environment:
1. Offer/encourage a telecommuting program to prevent
sick workers coming to the office.
2. Stock up on sanitizing wipes and antibacterial soaps, as
well as consider installing touch-free restroom fixtures
to avoid unnecessary contact with germs.
3. Educate your workers on how often they should clean
their desks, how long to stay home when sick and what
areas in the office need to be frequently disinfected.
Visit the Staples Flu Center for more help getting through
flu season!