UK employers need to vaccinate their employees against flu.
BUPA has advised business that investing as little as £8.75 per employee in flu vaccines can boost productivity and minimise sick leave by 43%.
Currently, flu costs UK plc about £6.75bn in 150 million lost working days, according to the Consumer Health Information Centre.
Martyn Anthony, head of specialist services at BUPA Wellness, commented: "Demand is such that we were planning to give four times the number of vaccinations provided last year. Although many people have flu jabs in early November, it is never too late for employers to protect their staff. The highest incidence of flu can be anytime from December onwards but often peaks between the end of January and the start of February, so we are encouraging companies to book their flu jabs now to ensure a happy and healthy start to 2007.
"Flu is highly infectious, particularly in the workplace and can cost a business dearly in lost productivity. Up to fifteen per cent of a company's workforce can be absent with flu over the winter months."
