Cold and flu season continues to linger, and allergy season is almost here. Now is a good time for our annual warning about using over-the-counter cold and flu medications during work hours. Sometimes, cold remedies and work are not a good mix.
The most common side effect of over-the-counter cold and flu medicine is drowsiness, which lowers one’s alertness and reaction time. Ten to 25 percent of people taking these medications report daytime drowsiness. This can be more than just an annoyance. Approximately 200,000 vehicle accidents are attributed to sleepiness every year. Fatigue is a factor in nearly one-third of truck accidents where the driver is killed. Taking medications, then going to work and using machinery or sharp tools can be dangerous. So, when you are ill, what should you do?
In many cases, you may not want a team member to show up for work when they have a bad cold or the flu. Not only do they risk injury if medications cause drowsiness, but their productivity is also likely to be poor. In addition, they may pass a virus to customers!
If a sick team member must work, here are some things to remember:
Tell your team to let you know. Maybe you can avoid sending those team members on more physically taxing calls. If you’re slow, maybe the sick individual can head home earlier than usual to get some much-needed rest.
Stress the importance of following the recommended dosages. Exceeding the recommended dose will not help anyone get well faster or feel any better. In fact, what usually happens is that side effects, such as drowsiness, become more pronounced.
Remind people not to mix medications. Remember, pills, capsules, or tonics are chemicals. They may be incompatible when mixed, causing more harm than good. A mixture of medicines may intensify a side effect or even be dangerous.
Emphasize reading labels. This is where you will find the information you need about dosage and side effects.
Don’t try new remedies during work hours. Tell your team if they feel like experimenting with something new or different, do it over the weekend. Everyone reacts differently to cold and flu medication. Find one that works best and gives you the least troublesome side effects, and stay with it.
Wash your hands often. We give this advice to kids, but everyone should remember it during cold and flu season. More cold viruses are transmitted from hand to hand, from doorknob to hand, from hand to mouth…than any other way. The best cold and flu solution is prevention!