Stay Home.

Flu Epidemics Will Continue Until We End Our Tough-Guy Work Culture

Peter Jackson, CEO, Bluescape

 It seems every year I read news story after news story about the seriousness of the flu and the importance of sick people staying home to prevent spreading the bug. But it’s like Groundhog Day: even in a year like this one where fatalities are high, sick employees still show up to work, and until there’s a change in corporate culture, that’s never going to stop.

We’ve all encountered those “bully” managers who make people feel they must be at work unless they are on death’s door. Especially in the tech sector, there’s often a general sense that you’re not an invested team player or you’re just simply weak if you can’t work through a cold or flu. This year, we’re faced with a flu season that threatens to take an alarming number of lives so it’s time, to be honest about the unspoken pressure employees feel and make concrete changes to a culture that’s putting us all at risk.

There is a multitude of reasons employees come to the office sick. They might be worried about using up all of their allotted PTO days and having to cancel the family vacation. Or they might fear to lose a coveted work project to another team member. Or, more likely, they might feel they have to prove their commitment to company and team by suffering through. These are all understandable reasons, and simply telling people to stay home won’t address these underlying issues.

We must think differently. In flu seasons like this year’s, we should be adding days to the sick leave policy to adequately cover the time it takes to recover from the flu. We also have to consider that spouses and children get sick. This compounds the challenge for working parents, and can disproportionately affect female employees who often shoulder more of the parenting responsibilities. Acknowledging these issues and being nimble enough to accommodate them has a bigger impact than you think. In the end, it will promote a healthy environment with less overall sick leave, higher productivity, and happy, loyal employees.

When it comes to altering the sick leave policy, don’t let concerns over creating a new standard get in the way. We are in a particularly tough flu season, and good leaders step up for their people when it counts.

As leaders, we need to emphasize that a "healthy culture" includes communicating from the top how to stay safe in the workplace. Here are some ways company CEOs can support the CDC’s recommendations on how to minimize the risk of flu:

· Lead by example: Throw an office(s)-wide "vaccination party" with leadership first in line to be vaccinated. 

· Enable sick workers to stay home: If workers can't do their jobs remotely, they will always feel the guilt and anxiety that comes along with missing work. Conference calls don’t cut it anymore. Companies need to adopt new technologies like virtual workspaces that make it not just possible for workers to stay in the loop but enable them to actually collaborate and contribute while recovering safely at home.

· Embed in the culture: In addition to offering meaningful solutions like flexible sick leave policies, consider incorporating smaller everyday changes, such as switching to fist bumps or another hands-free sign when greeting a colleague. 

· Protect your workforce: Ensure your office air and cleaning practices are making your offices a safe place to work. This includes attention to shared workspaces, halls, kitchens, etc. Communicate these standards to the whole office/company so that everyone knows you take them seriously.

· Anticipate potential risks: Ensure your managers know where flu outbreaks are happening and give your employees the knowledge and tools to remain safe when considering work travel. Virtual workspaces, again, can help avoid sending people into high-risk areas.

We have the information, knowledge, and tools to make a change and keep our workforce health. What we need now is a commitment by our business leaders to change the culture and eliminate the guilt and fear that comes with sick days. Thousands already have been treated for the flu this year and dozens of children have died. It’s time to fix this.