Considering Employee Flu Vaccinations? A Flu Season Survival Guide for HR Teams

HR is the cornerstone of any business when it comes to the wellbeing of employees and the best interests of the company. If you are part of the HR team, you know that flu season is the time of year when employees are most vulnerable to sickness and absence from influenza. As the duty falls on employers to protect the workforce, this guide will help you manage flu season and prevent high rates of flu-related sickness absence.

Why Offer Employee Flu Vaccinations?

According to UKHSA data, the flu vaccine has prevented as many as 120,000 hospitalisations in England during the 2024-2025 flu season. While the vaccine does not prevent illness, it does reduce severe illness, which can lead to hospitalisation or even death. As such, it is imperative that the HR team create a flu vaccination programme, with corporate flu jabs a cost-effective and proactive way for you to manage the flu season. Here are some key ways your company can benefit from employee flu vaccinations:

• Reduce absenteeism: By implementing company flu jabs, you can significantly reduce the effect of seasonal outbreaks, and in doing so, reduce absenteeism.
• Boost morale and productivity: A flu vaccination programme shows you are being proactive in the care of employees’ wellbeing, and that the company is genuinely committed to their welfare, thereby boosting morale and productivity during the peak winter months.
• A cost-effective measure: The costs involved in on site flu vaccinations are much lower than the monetary impact of sick leave and lost productivity on the company.
• Increased workplace safety: Offering flu shots at your workplace helps to prevent the virus from spreading among employees, and reduces the risk of transmitting illness to clients or customers.

Planning and Implementing

It is helpful to implement a flu vaccination programme and ensure staff are fully vaccinated before the flu season begins. Ideally, you should schedule on site flu shots no later than October, as the flu vaccine takes approximately two weeks to provide full protection. To increase vaccine uptake, offer this as a fully-paid health benefit to staff, especially those identified as high-risk, or public-facing employees.

As part of the vaccination programme, you can offer employees two ways to get vaccinated:

1. On site flu vaccination clinic: Set a date for a clinic where specialist nurses and pharmacists will visit the company premises to offer employees on site vaccination. This also eliminates the need for employees to take time off to visit their local health centre or pharmacy for their vaccination.
2. Flu vaccination vouchers: If employees cannot attend an on site clinic, or they work remotely, you can provide flu vaccination vouchers. This way, the company still covers the cost, and the employee simply needs to visit their nearest participating pharmacy.

Encourage Participation

Communication and promotion are key to encouraging employees to participate in company flu vaccinations. You can do so through:

• Leadership support: Ensure that senior management gets their shots. Not only is it always better to lead through example, this will also help to normalise the process.
• Clear messaging: Emphasise the importance of the vaccine and how it can protect employees, especially vulnerable workers and those on the frontline, against serious illness.
• Myth busting: There can be misconceptions about flu vaccines, for example, that the shot gives you the flu. You can address these through a variety of methods, including the company intranet, newsletters and posters. At FluClinic2You, we assist with the supply of informative information that can be shared with employees.
• Incentives: Promote engagement by providing modest incentives, such as gift cards, food vouchers, or the option for a designated “casual day” for participants attending the flu clinic.

Review HR Policies

During peak flu season, it is important that companies are as flexible as possible. This helps to manage absenteeism, prevent presenteeism, and reduce the spread of flu if an employee gets sick. To achieve this, you can implement:

• Flexible leave policies: Make sure that your company’s HR policies include a flexible leave policy that will allow employees to stay home when they are sick. If you haven’t yet implemented workplace flu vaccinations, the policy should also allow employees to take time off to get vaccinated.
• Stay-at-home protocol: It’s in the best interests of all parties for an employee with fever and respiratory symptoms to stay at home. They should do so for at least 24 hours after the fever decreases without medication.
• Mandatory vs voluntary: Many workplaces offer employee flu vaccinations on a voluntary basis. It’s important to note that mandatory vaccinations are generally limited to settings involving high-risk, direct patient care. If you work in such an environment, your policy must include an exemption process for medical or religious reasons.

Workplace Hygiene and Safety

Aside from the vaccination programme, you should also implement enhanced hygiene and safety guidelines to further minimise the risk of spreading. This can be achieved by following these tips:

• Increase sanitation: Ensure that high-risk areas are routinely cleaned with high-quality sanitation products. High-risk areas include frequently touched surfaces and objects such as door handles, phones, and keyboards.
• Stock up on supplies: Maintain a sufficient inventory of tissues, soap, hand sanitisers, and disposable wipes to support hygiene standards.
• Winter ventilation: You can encourage improved air circulation in closed spaces to reduce the concentration of airborne viruses by increasing fresh air from windows in short bursts, and using air conditioning systems with enhanced filtration to attain higher air changes per hour.

Is Your HR Team Ready for the Next Flu Season?

If your HR team would like specialist assistance preparing for the next flu season, contact FluClinic2You. Our specialist team of pharmacists and nurses are standing by to help guide you through the introduction of on site corporate flu vaccinations and flu vaccination vouchers, to ensure the process is quick, simple and efficient.