With between 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations from the flu each year, adopting preventative steps to cut your company's exposure is vitally important for your employees' health and your bottom line. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The 2017-2018 flu season was one of the most severe in recent history—and employers were faced with difficult challenges related to lost workdays and low productivity as a result of sick employees. That's why it's more important than ever to take steps now to prepare and protect your workforce for the upcoming flu season. And while there are simple, personal health practices employers can advocate to help keep employees healthy, getting an annual flu shot is still the most effective way to protect against the virus.

Related: Why offering employees flu shots benefits everyone

Employees miss an average of five workdays per year due to the flu, at a cost of about $200 per person for each lost day. That means for a workforce of 250 employees, the flu season could cost $250,000 in missed workdays every year. And with between 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations from the flu each year, adopting preventative steps to cut your company's exposure is vitally important for your employees' health and your bottom line.