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10 Jobs at Risk for the Flu
- According to the fourth annual survey from Staples Advantage, 90 percent of employees go to work despite being sick. With flu season starting, it's time to think about how to prevent sharing the flu and keeping employees healthy. While all workplaces are at risk during flu season, those more likely to come in contact with the virus than others should be even more aware of how to keep germs in check. Here are ten jobs most likely to have contact with the flu virus. Some might surprise you, some might not, but they've all made the list for a variety of reasons.
- Doctors and Nurses: It goes without saying that they are constantly in the presence of and interacting with people who are unhealthy. Germs are carried on their hands and clothes.
- Teachers: Teachers are exposed to a very high amount of germs carried by children in the classroom — the germs are all over desktops and homework papers.
- Retail Store Employees: They are not only in contact with a lot of people on a daily basis, but likely handle cash and credit cards that carry germs.
- Sanitation Workers: Sanitation workers literally deal with waste throughout their day, making it incredibly difficult to avoid germs.
- Mortuary Employees: Funeral home directors and staff deal directly with many individuals who have been visiting ill family members in hospitals who likely carried germs.
- Flight Attendants: When someone is sick, they usually don't stay home if they have a flight to catch. Flight attendants spend hours each day in enclosed spaces with them.
- Bank Employees: Bank tellers and other staff are constantly handling pieces of currency, many of which are carrying germs and viruses.
- IT Support/Computer Repair: Keyboards and computer mice are cleaned very infrequently and can carry a high amount of germs. Working with technology that is frequently used by other people is a dangerous job.
- Business Executives: Frequently have heavy travel schedules, long work hours and little sleep — all adding up to a higher likelihood of coming down on the flu.
- Air Traffic Controllers: High stress levels make people much more vulnerable to illness, and air traffic controllers have one of the most stressful jobs possible.
- This year's flu survey reveled at least 8 in 10 employees believe they are responsible for their own health during flu season, and their primary sources for flu-related knowledge are doctors and news media.