Hot Mama In The City

Flu season poses a big problem for businesses ­ each year it causes an estimated 70 million missed workdays and billions in lost office productivity. It’s critical that both employees and employers take notice and promote healthier habits.


I work from my home office but that doesn't mean I don't work alongside some germy co-workers. The kid's can easily spread their germs around the house and that includes my work area. My kindergartner attends public school and often comes home sick from others at school and spreads the virus to the other members of the family. The kid's love to play at my desk to draw, color or play on the computer and that's why I wipe my desk down often during the cold and flu season. I work from home but I still have to take sick days and postpone deadlines and projects.

The fourth annual Flu Season Survey from Staples, a leading provider of supplies that help keep offices healthy, revealed nearly 90 percent of employees go to work even when they know they are sick. These findings show a growing trend when compared to last year’s survey indicating 80 percent go to work sick, up from 60 percent in 2011.

According to the survey, employees acknowledged that staying out three days when sick with the flu was appropriate. The majority of those surveyed, however, stay out of the office for less than two days when sick, putting coworkers’ health and business productivity at risk. The primary reason most respondents cited for returning to work early was not wanting to fall behind on their workload (45 percent).


Being proactive early in the flu season ensures health and productivity throughout the season. Since the flu season is now upon us, here is a list of items for your Cold & Flu Prevention Kit:

1. Clorox Clean Up Wipes
2. Lysol Antibacterial Cleaner
3. Purell Hand Sanitizer
4. Soft Soap Hand Soap
5. Kleenex Tissue Box

{This is a sponsored post for Staples. All opinions are of my own}