Being sick is difficult enough, but being sick and dragging yourself into work is not only exhausting—it’s dangerous. And yet, many employees do just that to finish projects or hold on to valuable sick time. As an employer, what are some of the best ways to keep your workforce healthy and productive? Outlined below are a few simple methods you can implement to protect your workers and your business.

Take Precautions

It’s always been common sense to keep far away from someone with a cold or the flu, but now we have a popular new name for it: social distancing. It’s important that you promote social distancing in the workplace in order to keep your employees healthy. Find creative office layouts to keep coworkers a reasonable distance from each other, if necessary, or allow remote working options in lieu of requiring your employees to fill a seat in your building. Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes available so that it’s easier to keep your workplace clean and encourage staff to regularly utilize these tools.

Stay at Home If You’re Not Feeling Well

One of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease around the office is to ensure that workers who are ill stay at home. This is easier said than done for many people, as staying home can be seen as a sign that they’re not fully committed to their job. Establish a company culture that supports remote work if needed, and make sure your business is equipped to send workers home when required. Cross-train your employees so that important tasks will still get done, and ensure that your personnel has access to laptops and video conferencing software so they can easily make the move home if needed.

Practice What You Preach

Like it or not, your employees are looking to you to set an example. If you come into the workplace sneezing and coughing, you’re setting an expectation that they need to show up when they’re sick as well. So be sure to set the same standards for yourself that you ask your employees to follow. Stay at home and work from there if you’re feeling able. There is rarely little that you need to do that can’t be accomplished with conference calls or emails, and most other tasks can be reassigned to another day or a trusted employee.

Although you’re likely very busy, keeping your employees healthy and functional is important to the wellbeing of your business. Ensure that you’re protecting everyone’s health and safety by taking these necessary precautions to reduce risk and encourage wellness in the workplace.

Here’s another great article: 3 Qualities Every Business Leader Needs to Be Successful