Encouraging staff in serviced offices in Edinburgh to regularly wash their hands could help to prevent absences, it has been suggested.
Law firm Shoosmiths encouraged employers to remind their workers about the importance of good hygiene practices during the flu season.
It was suggested that ensuring staff are aware of the need to cover their mouth and nose as they cough and sneeze can help to limit the number of cases of illness.
Other recommendations include urging people to regularly wash their hands using soap and water, as well as wiping down hard surfaces and communal devices such as telephones.
The organisation advised employers to assess whether it is better to send people home or allow them to remain in the office.
"Government guidance is that individuals should continue to come to work unless they are ill. If employees are ill they should stay at home until their symptoms subsist and they feel better," the company stated.
Shoosmiths has eight offices across the UK and is an established Top 30 national law firm.
