It is a natural fact of life that sometimes people will be too sick to come in to work. This, of course, leads to a loss of productivity, and is something companies would like to keep to the absolute minimum. However, many companies take counterproductive approaches to this, like encouraging people with contagious illnesses still to come in if they are well enough to work, which leads to other members of staff also getting sick.

Here are some approaches that can help minimize the amount of time lost to sickness in your company, while promoting good health practices:

Offer a Good Health Plan

The health plan is one of the most important employee benefits in the US, where it can be what someone has to rely on for access to healthcare. However, even in countries with universal free healthcare, many employers still offer private healthcare plans as a benefit. This is because with a good health plan, people can get any health matters addressed quickly and with minimal hassle, which means less time off work. It is worth considering then, whether your current health plan offering is as comprehensive as it could be, for instance whether it includes things like first line benefits that can help people get back on their feet quickly after an injury or illness.

Make Remote Working an Option Where Possible

Sometimes someone feels well enough to do their job, but may have something contagious that you don’t want spreading around the office. Or, they may feel well enough to do their job, but not well enough to face the full day of commuting. Any job that it is possible to do from home should be given the option to do this in these circumstances, so someone has a chance to remain as productive as they can be while still taking care of themselves at home and eliminating the risk of passing on their illness. Remote working can also be a solution for parents who sometimes have to take days off when their children are sick and home from school. Since the pandemic, most employers have realized just how much can be done remotely, and continuing this policy for people who are sick, but not too sick to get some work done on their computer, can drastically cut days lost to sickness.

Ensure Your Office Meets Health and Safety Requirements

Pain as a result of incorrectly designed office furniture can be a cause of time off. While it may look cool to have people working on couches with laptops or spending most of the day in meeting rooms with stylish chairs, really, everyone should be spending the majority of their working time at a proper desk with an adjustable, five wheeled office chair to avoid postural issues and pain.

These are just three of the ways you can reduce the amount of time taken off sick in your company, with remote working probably being the one with the biggest impact.