Employers should have clear sick-day policies and encourage vaccinations to prevent impacts to productivity and bottom lines, according to human resources software company BrightHR.
The company, which monitors more than 7,000 companies and 65,000 employees in Canada, revealed in a Nov. 22 release that 34 per cent of all sickness absences from the flu or colds typically occur between November and January.
December is the third “sickest” month of the year, followed by November in second and January in first.
Industries heavily reliant on temporary contractors or shift work could be impacted the most by absences this year, BrightHR chief international growth and marketing officer Thea Watson told BIV.
She said sectors like education, retail and hospitality could be left with fewer people to do their jobs, which can increase burnout for other employees.
For flu-related absences, November and December 2023 tied in second place with the most sick days – each at 131 per cent above last year’s monthly average, according to data from BrightHR. A spokeswoman for BrightHR did not provide BIV with this year's data by publication time.
However, Watson says employers can take action and minimize impacts.
“One of the first things they [companies] can do is ensure that they're communicating their policies,” she said. This includes being clear about sick days and remote work policies.
Flu absences have continued to become more frequent across the country, said Watson, adding this has significant effects on worker productivity and business costs.
“It takes anywhere from two to five minutes to process any sick leave,” she said. “You could be spending thousands [of dollars] on just processing sick leave … depending on your business size.”
BrightHR CEO Alan Price said in the release encouraging employers to stay home if they’re feeling unwell could prevent losing other workers to sickness. However, encouragement should also be given for flu vaccinations.
Flu vaccinations for adults 18 and older have slightly decreased over the past year, from 43 per cent in 2022-23 to 42 per cent in 2023-24, according to Statistics Canada’s .
Among respondents, the most common reason for not getting the flu shot was thinking the vaccine was not needed (31 per cent), with 15 per cent stating they encountered difficulties scheduling an appointment.
