Long summer days can make it easy to forget that flu season is just around the corner. For self-insured employers, encouraging employees to receive their seasonal flu shots is a public health imperative and a strategic business decision. Ensuring employees are healthy is crucial for reducing health care costs, maintaining productivity and fostering a positive workplace environment.
To help combat the challenges of flu season and support your employees, consider prioritizing the following three areas.
Reducing Health Care Costs:
- A 2018 study estimated the total economic burden, without adjusting for inflation of the annual influenza epidemic amounts to over $11.2 billion. $3.2 billion was from direct medical costs alone.1
- Preventive measures, like the flu vaccine, can significantly reduce flu cases, reducing doctor visits, hospitalizations and prescriptions running through benefit plans.
Decreasing Absenteeism and Enhanced Productivity
- The flu can cause employees to miss several days of work. Absenteeism and reduced productivity among other indirect costs account for the majority of economic losses caused by the flu. $8 billion is lost annually due to indirect consequences of the flu.
- In addition, healthy employees are more productive. Reducing flu–related incidences results in enhanced levels of productivity with the avoidance of disruption from sudden absences. This is vital in industries where staffing is critical, such as health care, retail and manufacturing.
Improving Employee Morale and Wellness
- Promoting flu vaccinations demonstrates an employer’s commitment to employee health and well-being. Consider convenience and motivation to engage in a program to bolster vaccination rates. Employers should contemplate incentivizing seasonal vaccines or hosting a workplace flu vaccine clinic to meet their program’s goals.
- Offering on-site flu vaccine clinics, like those offered in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana through Employers Health’s Flu Shot Clinic Program,* can make it easier for employees to get vaccinated. A successful campaign and thoughtful intervention can boost employee morale and foster a culture of health and wellness within an organization.
By strategically approaching flu season, employers can significantly impact their organization’s health, productivity and overall morale while possibly reducing costs. The Employers Health clinical team has created a helpful flu vaccine FAQ sheet that we encourage employers to share with team members during flu season. We hope you and your team stay safe and healthy this flu season.
*If you are located in one of the aforementioned states and would like more information on the Employers Health Flu Shot Clinic Program, please reach out to Hannah Whitesel, PharmD at [email protected].
