If You’re Sick – Stay Home! More CEO Wisdom…

Ah….the end of summer.  Many people in Colorado have a love hate with this time of year.  One one hand, the summer activities are winding down, but on the other…..we are starting to look to the heavens for epic snow.  Plus, fall is simply fantastic here.  This is also the start of flu season….

We’ve all been sick (yes, I get sick as well) and  it’s frustrating to have such a sudden energy drain when there’s still work to be done. As a responsible adult, I’m been tempted to just ignore my illness, pretend I’m invincible, and just keep on keeping on.  This plan often backfires. As a CEO, I hear every sneeze and cough in the office. I feel like I should place the office on lockdown during certain times of the year for fear the CDC is going to come in and shut it down for us. So, if sniffles and shivers are spreading through your workplace, too, keep these tips in mind:

Quarantine is Key

Dedicated employees—and managers—are always tempted to push through an illness, to keep up business as usual no matter how awful we feel. Nobody wants to let their coworkers down. However, that brave soul who never misses a day of work is not doing anyone any favors if he or she is spreading an infection around the workplace. I don’t want your crud and neither does anyone else, frankly.

It’s never a good time to be short staffed, but missing one key employee is far better than having everyone sidelined by illness a few days later. Keep germ theory in mind: if you think you’re coming down with something, protect other people by staying away from them. Encourage your staff to do the same. Sometimes the best way to support the team is to take one’s self—and one’s germs—home to rest. Don’t be a hero. And if you’re managing someone who looks like death warmed over, encourage them (strongly, but with a smile) to take one for the team—a day off, that is.

Use Alternative Work Options

Staying away from coworkers physically doesn’t necessarily mean no work will get done (and shame on you if you’re a boss who thinks so). Today’s technology makes it easy to work from home. This alternative is great for preventing the spread of illness throughout the workplace. The time people devote to their daily commute can be directed, instead, towards getting well. Plus, someone who is too ill to put in a full day may be able to get a few hours of work done between periods of extra rest. This plan also helps parents whose little ones have caught the bug. Moms and dads can keep an eye on a sick child, but get some work done while the little one naps. Before the main cold and flu season kicks in this winter, consider putting more systems, such as digital document management, in place that will make it easy for key staff members to telecommute in emergencies.

And for the record, I didn’t start a digital imaging company just to keep sick folks at home, but it has shown to be a great way to keep people on the mend and still working!

Take a Break

Even with the marvels of technology, there is no substitute for time and rest. Though it’s hard to do, you have to give yourself, and sick members of your staff, a break. Look at your to-do list, and if anything can be put off until the outbreak is over, put it off. Letting go is and taking a break is often the most difficult thing you can do, especially as a manager, but it’s the best thing you can do to get through a cold or flu fast.

So please – rest. Stay home. I don’t want your crud. My family doesn’t want your crud. I will let you telecommute if you promise that you will just stay home.

Posted by: John Cushman on September 2nd, 2010 // View Comments
Posted in: Medical, News
Tags: Business, Business Productivity, Business Tips, Management, office organization
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