Flu
season is underway and will typically linger through March. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
1, this year´s flu season
has affected all 50 states with some regions hit hard.
A
short-term disability insurance carrier sees flu claims for employees that are
typically out of work for at least five days. However, for employers that is just the tip of the iceberg for
flu-related absences. Employers face
the challenge of managing absences of those employees out on short-term
disability as well as for those employees out ill for a shorter duration. In addition, it is difficult to schedule
work projects around intermittent absences of employees who return to work when
still ill and then have a relapse. Consider too the unscheduled absences of well employees who need to take
days off to care for a sick dependent. For example, a young child or an elderly parent may be particularly
vulnerable to strains of the influenza virus.
If those absences weren´t enough to worry about, consider
also the financial toll of "presenteeism." This is the term for employees that are physically at work but not
productive. Various flu symptoms and medications can affect an employee´s focus
and concentration. Estimates place the
cost of presenteeism at far exceeding the cost of absenteeism. For example, a study by Advance PCS, published in
the June 2003 issue of the
Journal of the
American Medical Association, estimated that the cost per year for lost
productive time due to depressive disorders was $8.3 billion due to absenteeism
and $35.7 billion due to "presenteeism." The same study also estimated that 1.5 "productive" hours are lost each
week due to individuals who are not suffering from depression but who come to
work with other health problems.
The World Health Organization estimates that cost of
influenza to the U.S. economy in terms of health care costs and lost
productivity can range from $71 billion to $167 billion a year
2.
An employee ill with the flu who comes to work is not only
not productive but may spread the virus to colleagues causing the flu to become
more widespread and linger longer within an employer''s workforce. Making matters worse, sometimes the flu may
be undetected and an employee may even be contagious a day before developing
symptoms.
According to the CDC, between 10% and 20% of people become
ill with the flu each year. When germs
are spread within the workforce, the number of flu incidences can rise and the
durations may become longer. While the
flu may put some employees on short-term disability for a week, these numbers
are typically small.For example, for
every 1,000 covered employees, MetLife typically receives one short-term
disability claim for influenza and its related conditions. Influenza related short-term disability claims
are also seasonal - the majority are received in January through March.
Suggestions for
Employers
In preparation of the flu striking their workforce,
employers may wish to consider taking the following steps:
·       Â
Encourage
employees to ask their physician about the appropriateness of receiving the flu
vaccine especially if they are particularly vulnerable (such as those employees
over age 50 or those suffering from lung diseases, diabetes, cancer, kidney or
heart problems). One way to promote the
vaccine is for employers to subsidize the cost if the health plan doesn´t cover
it. An employer may also wish to
subsidize the cost for the employee´s dependents if the flu shot is physician
recommended.
·       Â
Create
a work environment where ill employees feel secure in taking several days off
to recover from the flu rather than being present at work but not productive
or, worse yet, passing along the virus to coworkers.
·       Â
Make
staffing contingency plans. Â For
example, make decisions now about the use of temporary agencies or other
restaffing methods if necessary.
·       Â
Consider
whether flexible work schedules - such as telecommuting - can be
accommodated. Â This could be of
assistance for well employees who are absent to take care of a sick dependent
and help an employer keep a project on schedule.
·       Â
Utilize
an integrated absence management tracking system that can help manage
unscheduled absences as well as disability, workers compensation and FMLA
leaves.
By
taking these steps, it is hoped that the affects of the flu on an employer´s
workforce will be minimized and that employees who do fall ill will receive the
proper rest and medical attention they need to recover quickly and return to
the job well and ready to work.