Combating The Call Centre Flu
We’re entering one of the busiest times of the year for call centres, which, unfortunately, coincides with the cold and flu season. In Alberta, we’re no strangers to sniffling and runny noses!
Just think about all the places you may touch in a day while working—elevator buttons, office doors, mouse, keyboards, fridge doors, dishwashers, cupboards, and so much more. While hiring cleaning professionals for your Edmonton office helps, there are many preventative measures you can implement at your call centre too!
When one employee gets sick, others soon follow. Just like schools, workplaces can quickly become a breeding ground for germs and viruses, which no employer or employee wants!
Businesses can help to boost employee morale at their contact centres by combating the call centre flu. Here’s how!
Host a Flu Vaccine Clinic
Flu shots are the most effective way to prevent the flu. If possible, organize a flu vaccine clinic in the office to make it easy for workers to get their flu shot.
Besides hosting a vaccine clinic, encourage employees to get a vaccine by providing them with the resources to book an appointment and time off work to get the vaccine.
Review Sick Leave Policies
Workers need to know that it’s okay to call in sick or work from home when they become ill.
Once someone sick comes into work, that virus can quickly spread to other workers, especially if your team members share desks. So you want to ensure they know it’s okay to have a sick day!
Review your sick leave policies and ensure there’s no fear of reprisals or loss of pay for staying home.
Educate Your Staff
Education and signage can go a long way in reminding workers how to minimize the spread of viruses.
For example, add a sign in the bathroom instructing the proper steps for washing hands. Make it fun, bright, and easy to follow.
Signage around the office can help, such as educating workers to cover their mouths with their elbows when they cough or sneeze. Other signs, such as encouraging the use of hand sanitizer or wiping down surfaces, also are a great addition.
Also, consider sending out an annual email reminding the whole office that cold and flu season is here, how they can help prevent it, and how they can help keep everyone at the office safe.
Reduce High Touch Areas
The less contact, the better. See what easy infrastructure you can implement to reduce high-touch contact points in your workplace. This can include automatic soap dispensers, faucets, toilets, and disposable paper towels.
Other great options are foot-operated garbage cans, automatic lights, push doors, and automatic water refill stations.
Clean High Touch Areas
In many places in the office, it’s hard to avoid spreading germs through high touch contact points – some areas can’t be replaced!
Common touch points include the coffee machine, stairwells, door handles, microwave, photocopiers, shared desks and equipment, shared headsets, and keyboards.
Sanitize these areas regularly, preventing the spread of flu from lingering germs. This is routine for most Edmonton cleaning services and should be done on a daily basis at minimum.
Contact The Cleaning Experts At Alliance Building Maintenance Today!
Keeping the office clean and sanitized is essential for everyone’s health and safety.
At Alliance Building Maintenance, we can take care of the heavy-duty work with regular janitorial work or one-time deep cleaning services for your Edmonton-based call centre.
Contact us today for your free quote!
