Let’s be honest...your co-workers are gross. You know it, the janitorial staff knows it, and they probably know it too, but they’re too nasty to even care.
If you’re trying to make it out of cold and flu season unscathed, these are some of the best practices to follow in your nasty, germ-filled, petri dish of an office.
- Wash your hands.Workplace health and safety expert Mark Flanagan believes wellness starts at the fingers. “Effective handwashing is one of the best ways to stop the spread of infection.” So that quick splash of cold water after a bathroom break you’ve been doing is not going to cut it. Get a generous lather of soap in your hands, rub vigorously and rinse off with warm water. Taking that extra 20 seconds out of your day could be keeping you out of the doctor’s office. Also, keep your hands away from your face.Gross.
- Keep tissues and hand sanitizer nearby.Next time you’re out shopping, grab some hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and a box of tissues. A squirt of Purell instantly lowers the number of germs on your hands and the tissues are there for you to sneeze into, and immediately discard. This means, stop sneezing out into the air like the world’s nastiest dragon and stop piling up tissues on your desk. Are you saving them for later? Get rid of them!
- Share the load.Mark says that a truly clean office can only happen with some teamwork. “Occupational hygiene is something that should be adopted as an essential routine for all employees [...] Try to avoid looking at maintaining a hygienic and tidy workplace as a chore, but more as looking out for each other, and part of the job.”