Managing Seasonal Flu in the Workplace
Your guide to protecting staff wellbeing and business continuity during flu season - without causing panic or becoming the office hand sanitiser police.
I’ve been feeling pretty rough since around the 3rd of January 🤧. I had a weekend in bed (which is pretty rare for me) and then some respite, but it all came back and kicked my butt again last weekend - I’m only now starting to feel a bit better! In the UK, there’s a phrase - “There’s something going around” - which always gets my goat (of course there’s something going around, there always is!), but at this time of your, this is more true than ever.
The annual flu season brings unique challenges for HR and people teams. While we want to protect our staff and maintain operations, we must balance care with practicality. The real cost of seasonal flu extends beyond sick days. When staff force themselves to come to work unwell, their productivity drops, mistakes increase, and illness spreads. One person working while sick can lead to five more cases within a week (possibly some hyperbole here BUT IT’S MY NEWSLETTER)!
Stop getting ill!
Prevention, as always, remains our best strategy. Start by creating straightforward sickness policies that everyone understands. Tell staff exactly when to stay home, how to report illness, and when they can return. Make these rules crystal clear - no room for interpretation or heroic presenteeism. Even if people want to work, they should really be prioritising getting better.
The best solution is to give your teams the power to work from home when they feel under the weather but feel they can still contribute. This middle ground helps maintain productivity and engagement while preventing spread. The key lies in trust - let staff make sensible choices about their health.
The key lies in trust - let staff make sensible choices about their health.
Stock your workplace with practical items: hand sanitiser stations, surface wipes, tissues, and masks. Place them where people need them most - near shared spaces and equipment. Make good hygiene the easy choice, we defaulted to this in the pandemic era, but there’s no reason why this can’t be commonplace now.
While they won’t need a PhD as a general practitioner, train your managers to spot early flu symptoms and have direct conversations with their reports about staying home. They set the tone - if managers come to work sick, staff will follow their lead. Teach them to plan for absences and spread work fairly among healthy team members. Document your essential processes and cross-train staff on key tasks. When flu strikes, you need smooth handovers and clear backup plans. Good documentation saves time and stress during staff shortages.
Culture is <sniff> king?
Create a culture where taking sick days feels safe and normal. No one should fear judgment or career impact for protecting their health. Replace "soldiering on" with "sensible self-care" as one of your workplace values. This not only means people won’t spread their diseases in the office, they’ll also feel better towards an org that genuinely cares about their health/
Another course of action is to consider offering practical health benefits: flu jabs, solid sick pay, health insurance. These investments pay off through reduced absences and higher staff loyalty. People remember how you treat them when they're unwell. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the mark of a good relationship is how people treat others when they’re not at 100%.
People remember how you treat them when they're unwell. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the mark of a good relationship is how people treat others when they’re not at 100%.
Write a simple flu season plan covering prevention, absences, cover arrangements, and return to work. Review it yearly based on real experience. What worked? What caused problems? What would your staff change?
Keep your messages consistent and calm. Avoid causing anxiety while maintaining awareness. Regular, factual updates work better than dramatic warnings or constant reminders. Your flu strategy needs three elements: clear rules, practical support, and consistent communication. Focus on these basics rather than complex policies or perfect solutions.
As always, it’s about the people
Most importantly, show your staff that their health matters more than short-term productivity. Create an environment where people feel truly supported in making healthy choices. This approach helps you manage seasonal flu while maintaining strong relationships with your teams. No drama, no heroics - just practical support for real people dealing with real illness.
Remember: good health practices work all year round. The habits you build during flu season improve your workplace permanently. Start small, stay consistent, and build from there.