How to manage winter sickness absences effectively for small businesses

Winter’s a tough season for small businesses. The days are darker, the weather’s chillier, and the dreaded cold and flu germs spread like wildfire. Throw in the usual seasonal dips in energy, and it’s no real surprise that sickness absences spike this time of year.

Want some good news? By staying ahead of the curve and what’s to come, you can keep your team healthy, productive, and happier through the colder months.

We’ve got some top tips and a handy checklist to help you breeze through these chilly months and tackle sickness absence head on.

Why does winter mean more sick days?

Before we can help you, you need to know why more people get ill in winter.

It’s largely down to how we live during winter. People spend more time indoors, often in close quarters with others, which creates a perfect environment for germs to spread. Meanwhile, shorter days and less sunlight can weaken immune systems, particularly if the office snacks lean more towards chocolate and biscuits than bananas and berries.

Instead of waiting for the inevitable, focusing on proactive measures can greatly reduce the impact on your small business.

Top tips for managing winter absence

We’ve got some tried and tested tips for you to try out with your teams. And we’ve thrown in a few fresh ideas to take your approach one step further.

Our tried and tested tips:

1. Encourage healthy work environments

Place hand sanitisers around the office. Don’t forget high-traffic spots like entrances and kitchen areas.

Promote regular handwashing – it’s not just for school kids and hospitals!
If budgets allow, offer flu jabs. They’re a powerful way to protect your team and show you value their wellbeing.

2. Flexible work options

Everyone has their good days and not-so-good days. When the sniffles hit, having the option to work from home can prevent unnecessary sick days while showing your team you trust them. It can also stop any illness spreading around the business!
Timetastic makes managing flexible schedules super simple. With personalised calendars for every employee, you can easily plan your days. Plus, with instant notifications, you can approve requests without a fuss—making life easier for both you and your team.

3. Communicate absence policies

No one likes guesswork, especially when they’re feeling under the weather.
Make sure your team understands your absence procedures.

Who should they contact?
What’s the timeframe for notifying you?
What information do they need to provide?

Clear communication reduces confusion and ensures you’ve always got a plan in place to cover any gaps in the team.

And, Timetastic helps here too. Our straightforward system allows employees to book in sick days swiftly, keeping the whole team informed via wallchart updates and email summaries. You also set limits for each type of leave with our Capped Leave feature to avoid any confusion. No lost messages, no crossed wires, no stress.

Don’t have a staff absence policy? Don’t worry! We have a free template you can use to get the ball rolling.

4. Keep tabs on absences

Tracking absences helps you spot patterns and keep things fair across your team. Our absence summaries give you the bigger picture at a glance, helping you make informed and balanced decisions.

Our real-time updates also help avoid surprises, like discovering three key team members are off on the same day. The visibility means you can plan effectively and keep the business running smoothly.

5. Support mental health

Winter’s not just hard on physical health. It’s no secret that shorter days and gloomy weather also affect mental health.
Here’s how you can help:

Encourage regular breaks.
Promote a work-life balance—remind teams to use their holiday allowances!
Use Timetastic’s burnout board to nip potential issues in the bud.

Proactively managing stress and offering support boosts morale and productivity, whilst also showing your team that their wellbeing is a top priority.

Fresh ideas to consider:

1. Immunity-boosting perks

You don’t need a huge budget to support your team’s health. Think small investments with big impact.

Set up weekly deliveries of fresh fruit or healthy snacks.
Provide herbal teas known for their immune-boosting properties.
Encourage hydration by putting water bottles on desks and ensuring plenty of fresh drinking water is available.

2. Stagger shifts and breaks

If it’s possible, try adjusting your team's schedules to give everyone a bit more breathing space. Staggered shifts help avoid crowded workspaces and rotating lunch breaks keeps any shared areas less congested.

3. Encourage fresh air and exercise

The cold weather doesn’t make it the easiest to get out and about. But if there’s a sunny day, then encourage employees to take a little break outside or go for a walk. Getting out of a stuffy house or office can do the world of good!

Some final thoughts on winter sickness

The winter months can be a bit of a headache for small business owners, but with simple strategies in place and tools like Timetastic at your side, know that you can handle sickness absences like a pro.

Focus on health, flexibility, and clear communication, so you’re not just managing absences, you’re building a healthier, happier, and more engaged team. What could be better for a business?

Handy checklist for tackling winter absences

And, of course, a quick checklist you can tick off to keep things running smoothly this winter:

 Provide hand sanitisers and encourage handwashing.
 Offer flu vaccination opportunities.
 Ensure employees understand absence procedures.
 Promote flexible work options (working from home or adjusted hours).
 Set up easy-to-use absence tracking with Timetastic.
 Monitor burnout patterns with Timetastic’s burnout board.
 Encourage regular breaks and a healthy work-life balance.
 Create an open and supportive environment to address mental health.