Holly Borrego, C&W Services

Flu season is officially here, and its length, severity and timing are impossible to predict. Despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other healthcare professionals, the uncertainty surrounding last year’s flu vaccination has caused many to avoid them altogether. Not only does the influenza virus impact the health of workers, but it also can cause employees to take more sick days and lead to overall decline in productivity. According to the CDC, flu season costs employers approximately $7 billion per year in lost productivity and sick days.

For landlords and tenants to keep their office spaces (and employees) clean and healthy during flu season, I have outlined the following recommendations:

• Encourage healthy habits: During flu season and the winter months, doors and windows stay closed and employees spend significantly more time inside. While it sounds simple, keeping those who spend around 40 hours per week in the office from spreading germs can significantly lower the chance of illness spreading among employees. If you aren’t already, make sure your maintenance staff is posting signs or sending office emails encouraging tenants to get a flu shot – the number one preventative measure against the flu – and practice clean, healthy habits. Make hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes accessible and encourage tenants to use them.

• Know where the germs are: According the CDC, the influenza virus is spread person to person through droplets from sneezing, coughing or talking to another person, or by touching a surface that has the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of touch points or using products like NanoSeptic can help prevent the spread of the virus. The cleaning industry is 75% labor, and knowing the areas that harbor germs and illness is essential for sanitizing a building. Aside from doorknobs and eating surfaces, germs can travel from unsuspecting sources such as heating and cooling systems and water.

• Be mindful of non-tenants, too: Open houses, holiday parties and other networking events can draw lots of foot traffic – and lots of germs. Avoid serving shared finger foods and make sure the space is sanitized post-event.

• Put policies in place: Encourage tenants to educate their employees on sick time policies and when to determine whether it is best for employees to work remotely. The CDC also reports that, while sick days and lost productivity cost approximately $7 billion per year, companies spend an additional $10 billion on healthcare costs for employees during flu season. This is approximately 111 million workdays lost due to the illness. Following simple lessons like frequent hand washing and never touching eyes, nose or mouth help stem the spread of the flu.

In today’s world of open office spaces and shared facilities, it is more important than ever before to take action and avoid spreading the flu. The more steps you can take to reduce the spread of the flu, the more healthy, productive and happy your tenants will be.

Holly Borrego, senior director of cleaning, C&W Services, Auburndale, Mass.