Every year around Christmas time, the flu seems to hit businesses and schools across the country. As a business owner, you may wonder if it is good strategy to offer immunization shots to your employees in order to avoid the flu this season. In this article, we have put together some things to think about, both for flu shots and against them, when trying to make your decision.



Is cost a factor? For many adults, flu shots are not covered by health Canada. This means that the business offering flu shots to their employees will have to foot the bill. It's usually around $15 for each shot, so you will have to keep your budget in mind!

How many of your employees are actually at risk? There is a reason why Health Canada offers flu shot clinics free of charge to certain portions of the population; they are most at risk. This includes senior citizens, elementary age school children, their parents, and health care workers. Outside of these people, the population at large is not as at risk for catching influenza and your efforts may not actually be worth it. Of course there is always the chance of an entire office being infected by one worker who IS the parent of a small child.

How much will employee down time cost you? When determining the relative costs of flu shots for your employees, it's important to factor in how much money you stand to lose due to employees taking sick time with the flu. If all hands on deck during this season is critical to your bottom line, then offering immunization is not a bad idea.

How effective are immunizations? Finally, make sure that you understand the possible side effects of influenza immunizations. Sometimes people will actually get sick due to the shots, and that can really defeat the whole purpose.

When it comes to a business, it can be hard to decide what kind of health benefits to provide for your employees. Certainly the down time incurred during flu season can be a hassle, but this has to be weighed against the merits of obtaining flu shots and the relative costs.