Firstly, let me wish you all a very Happy and Healthy 2026. What I really want to focus on in this issue is the healthy part of my wish for you. The wellness of staff is key for ensuring their wellbeing, which in turn supports the service delivery we must meet. As always for our housekeeping teams we are just coming out of a very busy festive season to roll straight into a back to work period, closely followed by Valentine’s Day and then Easter in just the first quarter of the year. Not so many events initially, but occupancy levels start to climb again – which is what we want for our establishments but sometimes can have an impact on our wellbeing. In the run up to the festive period we had the usual ‘flu’, coughs and colds ,and what we do in our housekeeping teams makes us pretty high risk. This winter it seems that once we have picked up the latest virus it does not go away easily. This led me to think about what can be done to support staff wellness, so I asked colleagues who work in Infection Prevention and Control about what we are dealing with. Let’s look at what’s going around right now — at least a Simple Version! There are various types of flu circulating and Covid is also still present, although not the major current cause for concern.

Flu A (H3N2) – ‘K-strain’ This is the main strain making most people ill this winter. It’s sometimes called the ‘super flu’ in the media because as we’ve experienced this quickly it spreads. Experts say it’s not more dangerous, just more widespread. It is however still covered by the current flu vaccine.

Flu A (H1N1) This is the classic ‘swine flu’ type that comes back most years. The good news is there’s not so much of it currently and the latest flu vaccine covers this.

Flu B This one usually affects children more than adults. However, we can pick it up from our children as it’s doing the rounds in schools, but not as much as the H3N2K strain. So, what does this mean for us? The current flu strains, especially the dominant H3N2 ‘K-strain’ can have a significant impact on hotel housekeeping staff, who are often on the front lines of guest interaction and maintaining the health and wellbeing of staff and guests by maintaining a high standard of cleanliness. There is an increased exposure risk. Our housekeepers clean rooms, bathrooms, and shared spaces where flu viruses can linger on surfaces for some considerable time unless they are removed by effective cleaning. They also handle used linens, tissues, and waste – all potential sources of infection. During outbreaks we require more frequent detailed cleaning and disinfection protocols, and whilst this increased workload is needed we can be short of staff due to the flu strains. Staff who remain may be required to work longer hours, which can lead to fatigue and the likelihood of catching one of the flu strains. This can lead to concern about being sick and passing ‘the bug’ on to family. So, what can be put in place to provide support not just for this time but for future proofing?

Training • Ensure staff are trained in Infection Prevention and Control so they understand what viruses and bacteria are and how they can accumulate and spread. Train staff in practical cleaning skills which will underpin IPC practices. • Train staff on handling linen to contain contamination and not contaminate themselves, and how to deal with waste materials correctly.

Checkpoints • Ensure gloves, masks, aprons and handwashing are part of daily routines. Handwashing is the most important Infection Prevention and Control measure there is. • Have detailed checklists of common touchpoints and increase touchpoint cleaning across the establishment.

Good practice • Can tasks be rotated to reduce exposure and fatigue? Adapt to flexible working patterns that meet the needs of the business and the staff. Provide tool box talks to promote glove removal, respiratory etiquette and hand care. Ensure cleaning tools and materials remove the soil – not distribute the soil. • Support hydration, nutrition and break quality. Promote fitness programmes that protect bodies that work long ‘days’ and ensure there are healthy options at break times. Promoting a healthy body provides stronger immunity and leads to a safer, more resilient workforce. • Share updates about flu risks and safety measures. Encourage staff to report symptoms early – better staff are off for a couple of days rather than come into work and infect others. Promote flu vaccination. Identify where staff can access services to be able to be vaccinated. Provide information in multiple languages if needed. Identify those staff who are more vulnerable or have caring responsibilities.