Promoting Wellness: Creating a Flu Clinic — Reducing Stress: A Toolkit for 9-1-1 Call Center Managers

What Flu Means for You

A sick employee is not a productive employee. The flu can spread rapidly around a call center, and as more and more of your employees stay home sneezing on the couch, your available staff can shrink rapidly. The remaining healthy telecommunicators work longer shifts and more overtime, becoming more and more exposed and vulnerable to getting sick themselves.

So promoting flu vaccination is a smart move. Not only are employees happier when they stay healthy, your center will run more smoothly.

To promote vaccination, you can:

Remind employees to get flu shots
Give employees time off to get vaccines
Provide educational materials about the flu and vaccination

So promoting flu vaccination is a smart move. Not only are employees happier when they stay healthy, your center will run more smoothly.

To promote vaccination, you can:

Remind employees to get flu shots
Give employees time off to get vaccines
Provide educational materials about the flu and vaccination

Setting Up an Onsite Clinic

One of the best ways to protect your employees from the flu is to host an onsite flu clinic at your call center. Studies have shown that employer vaccination programs can reduce absenteeism by up to 36% and save up to $95 per employee.⁴

How can you set up a clinic at your call center? Here are some tips to help.

Timing: Research shows that the most effective time to vaccinate employees is at the beginning of flu season. Try to schedule your clinic before December.
Coordination: Designate one point person to be in charge of the clinic. This may be an HR employee, or it could be a member of your wellness Employee Advisory Board.
Cost: Determine whether your insurance will cover the cost of the vaccinces and what budget the call center has for additional expenses.
Provider: Whether through your health insurance or a local health provider, find an agency to conduct the clinic and adminster the shots.
Promotion: Working with the provider, promote the clinic. Consider enlisting champions among senior management; using email, pamphlets, and posters to provide reminders and educate employees about the importance of vaccination; and offering prizes and other incentives.
Day-Of Issues: Make sure that employees' schedules allow them to take advantage of the clinic. Observe closely and ask for feedback to make necessary on-the-fly adjustments to the clinic's operation.
Follow-Up: Track numbers for your record-keeping year to year, and solicit feedback from all involved to improve future clinics. Thank employees, volunteers, and clinic staff.

Timing: Research shows that the most effective time to vaccinate employees is at the beginning of flu season. Try to schedule your clinic before December.
Coordination: Designate one point person to be in charge of the clinic. This may be an HR employee, or it could be a member of your wellness Employee Advisory Board.
Cost: Determine whether your insurance will cover the cost of the vaccinces and what budget the call center has for additional expenses.
Provider: Whether through your health insurance or a local health provider, find an agency to conduct the clinic and adminster the shots.
Promotion: Working with the provider, promote the clinic. Consider enlisting champions among senior management; using email, pamphlets, and posters to provide reminders and educate employees about the importance of vaccination; and offering prizes and other incentives.
Day-Of Issues: Make sure that employees' schedules allow them to take advantage of the clinic. Observe closely and ask for feedback to make necessary on-the-fly adjustments to the clinic's operation.
Follow-Up: Track numbers for your record-keeping year to year, and solicit feedback from all involved to improve future clinics. Thank employees, volunteers, and clinic staff.