Workplace Wellness Insights: Should You Get a Flu Shot?

Each month, we send out we send out our RK Healthy Workforce wellness newsletter. In it, we provide health and wellness tips for your work and life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC), the 2017-2018 flu season was one of the worst in recent decades. In fact, it was the first flu season to be classified as high severity across all age groups. Based on last year’s flu season, the CDC has released their FAQs for 2018-2019 flu season. In there, they recommend getting a flu vaccine by the end of October, but getting it later is still, of course, very beneficial.

Many employers offer a flu shot clinic as part of their workplace wellness program. In fact, according to SHRM’s 2018 Employee Benefits Survey, 60 percent of employers offer onsite seasonal flu vaccinations.  After all, the flu can take a toll on quite a few things – employee health, company productivity and overall healthcare costs. Aside from the flu vaccine, here are a few other best practices to stay health during the upcoming flu season:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay away from others when you feel under the weather.
• Wash your hands often using soap and warm water to protect against germs.
• Get plenty of sleep, stay physically active and drink plenty of water to keep your immune system strong.
• Manage your stress and eat a nutritious diet rich in healthy grains, fruits, vegetables and fiber.

Our monthly wellness newsletter also provides healthy recipes, seasonal tips and other valuable resources. For example, in October we also talk about:

• See What the Buzz is All About: Counting Macros
• More Common Than You’d Think: Workplace Bullying

If you would like to receive this newsletter in your email each month, contact your R&K client manager. Also, check back with us next month for more workplace wellness insights.

Rose & Kiernan, Inc. offers workplace wellness support through our signature platform RKHealthy Workforce. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us here or by calling (800) 242-4433.