Since around one-in-two US and European companies know little about the impact of seasonal flu on their business, here are a few informative, alarming, odd and downright peculiar findings from our recent research into corporate strategies for battling the virus. Some of these may also prove worthwhile reading for employees, given low employee receptiveness is rated by executives as the top barrier to the success of corporate initiatives to combat flu.

1. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says seasonal flu kills 36,000 Americans a year and puts 200,000 in hospital
2. Absenteeism is seen as the biggest cost to business. The OECD says influenza accounts for around 1 in 10 sick days in Europe. Lost productivity in France is estimated to cost US$9bn. The equivalent figure in Germany is US$14bn
3. Out of the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the US is the only country to recommend universal influenza vaccinations for all age groups
4. Germany is the only country of the five above where the majority of senior business leaders rate the flu risk to their business as moderate or high (the risk is seen as minimal in the other four)
5. This could be because more Germany adults report symptoms of seasonal flu and the common cold than their counterparts in both the US and the UK (see chart) 
6. Oddly enough (or perhaps not) the German working population is particularly susceptible to flu during the infamous month of October – double the equivalent figures in the US and the UK 
7. Equally strange (or not), the summer month of July sees a spike in reports of flu symptoms among UK adults—double the equivalent figures for the US and Germany
8. In January of this year, 4.7% of the US adult population reported influenza—almost double the equivalent rate during January 2010. Smokers, asthmatics, women, under 30s, and those earning under $3,000 a month, all reported above average symptoms of influenza (Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index)
9. Most companies (84%) conduct some form of prevention efforts but only one-half have a formal flu-prevention strategy; signs and posters are still the most common method for companies to communicate flu initiatives around the workplace 
10. The biggest issue for employers—according to Dr Jonathan Van Tam, flu consultant to the WHO—is the extent to which they tolerate workplace absence or understand what ‘presenteeism’ might actually mean. A recent survey by Staples found that 80% of employees come to work when they have the flu 

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(A final lesson from our report: if you want to lower your chances of catching the flu this winter, don't work for a consultancy, accountancy firm, law firm, information provider or any other business in the professional services sector. Three-quarters of firms in this sector lack a formal flu-prevention strategy; 47% do not collect any data whatsoever on the impact of flu on their business; 56% do not communicate with employees about corporate flu initiatives; 47% do not conduct any prevention measures, and less than a quarter (24%) are generally spending more on employee health and wellbeing nowadays. All of the above put this desk-tied, office-bound sector significantly below the overall average.)

Download the report here

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited (EIU) or any other member of The Economist Group. The Economist Group (including the EIU) cannot accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on this article or any of the information, opinions or conclusions set out in the article.