Summer Allergy Showdown

You may think allergy sufferers are in the clear come summer, but for many of them, that’s not the case.

Spring and fall haven’t cornered the market on allergens, and summer offenders can keep your employees sniffling and sneezing their way through yet another season. (This time, during the months when outdoor living is the name of the game.)

That means there’s no off-season for allergies and their accompanying inconvenience, discomfort, and, from your company’s perspective, impact on productivity.

The problem is not just workers who call in sick due to allergy symptoms, but also those who come to work even when they don’t feel well and those who self-medicate with over-the-counter allergy relievers.

Tough-it-out folks tend to spend most of the day struggling to concentrate, while the ones who prepped for work by popping OTC pills may find themselves too drowsy to get much done. Either way, productivity takes a hit thanks to allergies.

Teaching your employees how to avoid their allergy triggers is arguably the best way to deal with the problem.

In summer, as in spring, pollen is one of the main culprits. Keeping up to date on the day’s pollen count via the local weather report can help allergy sufferers plan their activities, determining when it’s best to stay inside and when it’s OK to venture out.

Summer air pollution is also a major player, with ozone at the forefront. Advise allergy sufferers on your staff to heed ozone level warnings for your area, and to limit outdoor exposure when levels are high.

Indoor allergy triggers can be a problem year-round, but some of them, such as dust mites, peak during the summer months, according to WebMD. Mold, another common allergen, thrives in damp areas.

Address these factors in the office by arranging for frequent cleaning and air-duct maintenance, to mitigate the effects of some common allergy triggers on your workers.