Why should Workplace Flu Vaccinations be on your checklist this Autumn?

Every winter, flu becomes one of the biggest drains on UK business productivity, yet it is often overlooked and unmanaged. With sickness absence rates at historic highs, protecting your workforce against flu is not only a nice wellbeing benefit, but is also a sensible approach for keeping your business running smoothly and productively.

Is flu really a workplace issue?

UK sickness absence has reached its highest level in over a decade. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2025 148.8 million working days were lost to sickness or injury, averaging 4.4 days per worker. What’s more, the CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that HR professionals reported an average of 9.4 sick days per employee over the past year, up sharply from 5.8 days pre-pandemic.

Minor illnesses (colds and flu) remain the single biggest driver of short-term absence and are cited by many employers as their top cause of sick leave. Flu spreads very easily in shared workspaces and via commutes, and just one infection can ripple through an entire team within days. A fit, healthy employee might only feel mildly unwell with flu, but they’re just as capable of spreading it to their teammates, some of whom may be more vulnerable to serious illness. This compounds the disruption far beyond the initial individual who was unwell.

Financially, the impact is significant too. The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that workplace sickness cost the UK economy around £103 billion in 2023, while analysis from Bowmore Financial Planning put the cost of sickness absence to UK businesses at £11.8 billion in lost profits in 2025 alone. The government-commissioned “Keep Britain Working” review estimates each sick day costs businesses around £120 on average, once you factor in cover, lost output and productivity dips.

So, what can you do?

The good news is that flu vaccination is one of the most cost and health-effective interventions available. Modelling from the UK Health Security Agency estimated that the flu vaccination programme prevented approximately 100,000 hospitalisations during the 2024–25 season alone, and current vaccines offer moderate-to-high effectiveness, particularly against the most severe outcomes.

For employers, that translates directly into fewer disrupted teams with reduced output and instead facilitates a workforce that’s more resilient and productive through the winter months.

What LOH’s workplace flu programme can provide

The free NHS flu vaccine is only available for specific groups: those aged 65 and over, people in clinical risk groups, pregnant women, carers and a handful of other eligible categories. The average healthy working-age adult isn’t entitled to a free NHS vaccine, so without an employer-funded programme, staff would otherwise need to pay privately or go without. A workplace flu programme removes that cost barrier entirely and provides the convenience of not needing to book a GP appointment or queue at a pharmacy in a lunch break.

At Lincoln Occupational Health, our workplace flu vaccination programmes are designed to make uptake as easy as possible:

On-site clinics delivered by experienced nurses, scheduled around your operational needs between October and mid-November
A dedicated online booking system, so staff can reserve a slot without the business having to organise this
Voucher options for employees who can’t make an on-site clinic, so everyone can be included
Fully managed setup, as we bring all clinical equipment and materials - you just provide a suitable room

The result is a healthier, more resilient team heading into winter, with fewer flu-related absences disrupting your operations and a workforce that feels prioritised and looked after.

Our clinics cover the London, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Cambridge area; however, get in touch as other locations can be considered.

Don’t just take our word for it…

“We have worked with Lincoln Occupational Health Services on our flu vaccination programme and found the service to be excellent. The booking process is very straightforward, and the implementation is smooth and well-organised. A reliable and efficient service that we would highly recommend.”

— EHS Lead, Consumer Health & Beauty Sector

Get ahead of the virus

Flu clinics book up quickly in the run-up to peak season, so the earlier you plan, the more flexibility you’ll have on dates. Get in touch with our team to reserve your 2026 workplace flu vaccination clinic.