Workplace Vaccinations at Four-Year High

Workplace Vaccinations at Four-Year High

Is your workplace looking a little empty this week? With the flu season about to hit its annual peak, absenteeism due to flu will also be hitting a high in workplaces across New Zealand.

However, with last year’s swine flu pandemic top of mind, there are many businesses that won’t be feeling the pinch in lost productivity this winter.

Through its workplace flu vaccination programme, Southern Cross Health Society delivered 61 percent more flu vaccinations in 2010 than in the previous year.

Over a ten week vaccination programme, hundreds of on-site clinics provided vaccinations to thousands of employees from some of the country’s largest businesses.

“The 2009 swine flu pandemic raised awareness, and it seems many businesses are now taking into account the big impact illness can have on their bottom line,” says Southern Cross Health Society Chief Executive Peter Tynan.

Latest information from the Ministry of Health shows influenza activity is beginning to increase significantly. Swine flu (also known as Influenza H1N1 2009) is once again the predominant flu virus in New Zealand, accounting for the great majority of the country’s influenza.

In 2008, a survey of 1000 employees showed flu vaccination programmes resulted in savings of $60* per employee over the winter season by reducing absence due to sickness. This saving excluded the costs associated with reduced productivity and using temporary staff.

Research conducted on behalf of Southern Cross in 2009 showed that the cost of illness to New Zealand employers was likely to be more than $1,500** per employee annually. The biggest part of these costs come from the lost productivity of employees who still go to work when they’re sick – known as ‘presenteeism’.

In operation since 2007, Southern Cross’ flu vaccination programme gives businesses the opportunity to either provide workplace vaccinations at on-site clinics or vouchers for employees to attend a local medical centre.

“These numbers present a compelling business case for vaccinations,” says Tynan. “The focus, through our web-based booking system, is very much on reducing the administration and time demand on an organisation to offer vaccinations to its employees. On-site clinics are a way of ensuring employees don’t put vaccinations in the ‘too hard’ basket, and create very little interruption to work flow. Alternatively, providing employees with a voucher means they can fit in the appointment at a time that suits them and helps to prioritise this preventative measure.”

ENDS

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