Mapping out the new employer playbook for COVID-19 and fluInnovations in diagnostics and treatments have emerged that allow employers to take charge and protect their employees and families from airborne diseases in ways that were never before possible.
Some of you might remember back in the day when employers felt like they were making a major concession by allowing employees to wear jeans to work on Fridays. It was often included on the list of company perks. Today, many remote employees never have to wear long pants of any kind, and wearing jeans might even be considered going the extra mile to dress up. There are no judgments here on fashion preferences, it’s just a radically different world we work in. One with radically different employee health concerns.
Consequently, companies have also evolved their approach to employee health, wellness, and well-being. No longer a collection of gym membership perks, wellness is now central to company culture. Employees expect more and have options. Leading employers are responding and differentiating themselves as wellness innovators.
3.9 million Americans said they didn’t work because they were sick with Covid-19 or were caring for someone with it for the period between June 29 to July 11, 2022.
Wall Street Journal July 25, 2022 Article by Lauren Weber & Chip Cutter
An innovative wellness culture can now extend to protecting employees and their families from the risks of airborne diseases. COVID-19 infections continue to be incredibly disruptive to employees and businesses. From a recently published article in the Wall Street Journal, 3.9 million Americans said they didn’t work because they were sick with COVID-19 or were caring for someone with it for the period between June 29 to July 11, 2022. We recently discussed here why we’re seemingly stuck in a repeated cycle of surges, and why we’ve likely entered an endemic phase. It’s time to move from fire fighting to a simple, streamlined wellness program for airborne illness.
Innovations in diagnostics and treatments have emerged that allow employers to take charge and protect their employees and families from airborne diseases in ways that were never before possible. As we approach a likely difficult flu season alongside of COVID waves, we lay out a new playbook for employers to follow that can reduce illness, sick days, and medical and disability claims.
The new playbook includes:
- Raise flu vaccination rates to same levels as COVID-19
- Utilize the latest diagnostics to discern between the common cold, flu, COVID-19
- Help employees return to good health with access to treatments within the first 48 hours of symptoms
- Leverage automated protocols that can be easily administered
- Monitor and analyze air quality
- Track key metrics to share with leadership and take action to improve employee health
We’ll explore each part of the playbook in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for future posts. Until then, imagine for a moment that you can communicate to employees you are investing in the latest health innovations to protect them from COVID and flu. As employees and family members inevitably get infections, and then engage in the program, they will view their employer as the enabler of a leading-edge care process. The new playbook for COVID and flu is a prime opportunity to differentiate your brand and be a wellness innovator. Trust us, it’ll resonate far more than casual Fridays did.
To start the conversation, reach out to us here.
