To working parents: One of the reasons you send your child to day care is to make it easier for you at work, right?
Every year, children pick up illnesses at day-care centers that result in millions of lost workdays and thousands of dollars in sick-care costs, research shows.
You can’t kill all the germs but a recent study found that education and training of day-care aids, including constant reminders about washing their hands and using disinfectants to clean common areas, can save money and reduce time off work.
“It’s only with that education effort that the environment will be further improved in terms of helpfulness,” said Stacey Ackerman, vice president of Covance Health Economics and Outcomes Services, which conducted the study on behalf of Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of a popular brand of disinfectant.
Many employers do understand this dilemma. According to the Families and Work Institute, 49 percent of companies with 100 or more employees allow time off to care for a sick child without using vacation days or pay, said Erin Brownfield, spokeswoman for the institute.
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