The blight before Christmas
'Tis the season to be poorly. What can HR do to help?Winter is a heady cocktail of bugs, illnesses and the kinds of physical strains that don’t happen at other times of the year. The hangover is that around two-thirds of sick days happen during the winter season.
Even HR can’t cure the common cold, but you shouldn’t be writing off the coming months as the time of empty desks and short-term cover. There are key areas that it’s worth knowing more about, and practical ways to help people (and yourself).
Hearts under pressure
Heart attacks are more common in the winter – so it’s a good time to raise awareness of the value of checking for heart attack risk.
There’s an argument that cold snaps raise blood pressure, and cause your heart to have to work harder to cope with the change in temperature. Hospital intakes for strokes and heart attacks rise by around 50% over winter.
Reducing cholesterol, keeping an eye on blood pressure and stopping smoking will all lower employee risks and ‘dial back’ heart age.
Offer some simple checks
Asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) often go unrecognised and they are easy to check for (just by using a screening spirometer).
This matters as folk with these lung problems are at increased risk for chest infections, progressively worsening health, and need an annual flu jab.
More firms are starting to offer flu jabs in the workplace for free, saving on staff going out to appointments.
Get defensive
In winter months we are all more likely to be short of vitamin D (typically because there’s not enough sunlight).
Like some other vitamins (such as folic acid), a deficiency affects your immunity and ability to fight off colds and flu so it’s worth getting this checked so supplements can be taken if appropriate.
Over time vitamin D deficiencies can lead to bone problems and heart conditions.
The party effect
In the winter we exercise less, eat more and drink more alcohol – intensified by the Christmas factor. A pre-winter health check – as you might do for your car – can give people an idea of their current health, flag any immediate issues and keep them on a healthy trajectory.
More social gatherings around the festive season also create potential for bugs to spread. It’s when the Norovirus vomiting bug starts to sweep through whole areas – schools and hotels are traditional hot-spots and offices can be as bad.
Simple things like providing anti-bacterial hand wash and disposable hand towels can help.
Blue Monday
It’s been claimed that the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday back at work in January, when the festivities are over, New Year’s resolutions have been broken and the bills have to be paid.
It’s important to remember that winter can be a hard time generally for employees, dealing with illness in themselves and their families. Everyone’s more housebound, and it’s especially difficult for those who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder from the lack of sunshine.
Mental health is increasingly being recognised as playing a crucial role in the big long-term physical issues, like back problems.
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