FLU VACCINATION – ONE ARM OF A HEALTHY WORKFORCE

With the influenza season coming up, many businesses are implementing a vaccination programme for their workforce, and increasingly these are part of the developing interest in overall company Health and Wellbeing programmes.

There is of course an important financial rationale behind the annual Flu vaccination programme.  Absenteeism from work due to influenza has been estimated to cost Australian businesses more than $2.5 billion.  In a severe outbreak it can have a significant financial impact on an individual business.

Vaccination is an effective protection against influenza, and a good programme can significantly reduce absenteeism (by 43% or more), improve productivity, raise staff morale and lead to a happier and healthier workforce   A major study has shown that workplaces utilising influenza vaccination prior to a mild Flu season realised savings greater than four and a half times the cost of vaccination -   including the cost of vaccine, administering the vaccine; time spent being vaccinated.

Effective though it can be on its own, a well constructed influenza programme is increasingly viewed by employers as just one plank in an overall programme to foster improvements in their workforces’ health status.  Generally known as Health and Wellbeing Programmes (or Health and Wellness programmes), they formalise a strategic approach to employee health that may include:

• Regular physical and general health assessment
• Participation in either fitness or recreational programmes
• Life style, health and nutrition seminars

A key aspect of successful Health and Wellbeing Programme is the ability of employees to access their own data, allowing them to monitor their own health and wellbeing, and the outcomes of any programme in which they are participating.

At the same time that there is a growing awareness of the value of programmes which aim to deliver a holistic solution and life balance, responsible managers are wanting to ensure that the corporate dollar is being used wisely, and are adopting measurement strategies that allow them to monitor health and wellness outcomes.  Regular health assessments are an effective way of building some empirical data around these programmes and tracking the undoubted benefits derived from an investment in a healthier workforce.

A rapidly growing Tasmanian company, Workforce Health Assessors (WHA), is bringing an original and fresh approach to Flu vax, pre-employment and ongoing health assessments and the holistic approach to Health and Well being in the workplace.  WHA  provides unique, ground breaking services right across Australia.