WSVN — There's no law against getting sick, but as a boss, Fort Lauderdale attorney Kelly Colb does have a rule for his employees. Kelly Colb: "Our policy is, if you're sick, don't come to work."The firm has taken aggressive action to keep its employees well during flu season, which peaks in December and January.Kelly Colb: "We have these posters everywhere extolling the benefits of keeping your hands clean, washing down your work surfaces, your keyboard, your phone. We have these Purell hand sanitizers. Just before you go shake hands with a client, do everyone a favor: wash your hands."Employees are even offered flu shots at the office, but no matter what you do, there will always be that one person who comes to work 'sick.Kelly Colb: "They are so sick they are in a haze, and they are not getting anything done except exposing people to whatever they've got."Dr. Linda Bach says, unlike a cold, the flu comes on very suddenly, and people don't realize how easily it's spread. Dr. Linda Bach: "The virus is actually spread through respiratory droplets. If you cough or sneeze or even talk, they are going to be transmitted through the air at least six feet. So you can be even standing pretty far away from someone and those respiratory droplets can hit you."And once you get the flu, you will need to stay at home, away from others, for at least a week.Dr. Linda Bach: "The most contagious day is on the second day you are ill, the day you are shedding the most virus. It usually goes through days four to five, when you are still contagious. Usually by day five to six, you are less contagious, unless you are a child or an older person."So how do you know when you're in the safe zone?Dr. Linda Bach: "If you have 24 hours without a fever, and without taking anything to get rid of the fever, then you're considered not to be contagious anymore."One last thing: Dr. Bach says you should treat each symptom with a different medicine, like Tylenol or Advil for pain, cough medicine for a cough, and there are ways to lessen the flu. Dr. Linda Bach: "There is something called Tamiflu, and there is another medicine. It's an anti-viral medicine. You take it twice a day for five days. It does not completely get rid of the flu; it shortens the duration of the flu by about one to two days."It's up to employees to stay home when really sick, and up to employers to give a prescription of tolerance.Kelly Colb: "It's up to the employers to not give people bad attitude when they don't show up to work."Doctors say, because the flu is so easily spread, the moment you come home, you should vigorously wash your hands with soap and water.FOR MORE INFORMATION:Dr. Linda Bach660 NE 95th St # 1 Miami Shores, FL 33138(305) 751-8071
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