A new study shows that many office workers feel compelled to be in the office when they're sick, but few take enough steps to keep their work space clean.

A recent survey by Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Framingham, Mass.-based Staples Inc., shows that 65 percent of workers reported coming to work sick, while 80 percent reported cleaning their work space only once a week or less.

Studies estimate about 40,000 people will get the flu this year, and a study by Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates the flu alone results in approximately 70 million missed work days and nearly $10 billion in lost productivity each year.

"Employers are concerned about decreased productivity due to sick employees and are looking for ways to maintain healthy work spaces throughout their facilities," says Lisa Hamblet, vice president for Staples Advantage and head of its facility solutions line of business.

"With employees coming to work sick, it's difficult to prevent germs from invading the office altogether," Hamblet says, adding, "There are easy preventive measures that can minimize the spread of germs within the facility and keep the business going."

With another flu season approaching, cleaning experts at Staples recommend that employers take the following steps to maintain a healthy work force.

Make hand and surface sanitizing products easily accessible throughout the office. Sanitizers reduce germs and bacteria by 99.9 percent. A study by GOJO, the manufacturer of Purell, reported a 21 percent reduction of absenteeism with hand sanitizer on the desktop. However, only 38 percent of workers surveyed have started using disinfectant wipes since the H1N1 outbreak. Employers can provide sanitizing wipes and sprays to use throughout the office to encourage employees to wipe surfaces and desktop items.

Supply tissues and educate the office about "respiratory etiquette." A surprising 68 percent of workers surveyed reported seeing coworkers sneezing or coughing without using a tissue or covering their mouth. Providing free tissues around the workplace and instructing employees to cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing will reduce airborne germs in the office.

Set aside time for all employees to clean and sanitize their work space. By doing so, and by providing sanitizing wipes, paper towels, and spray, employers can create a more germ-conscious work force and a healthier office, Staples says. That's particularly necessary given the number of people who eat at their work space—a surprising 92 percent of workers, the Staples Advantage survey found.

Encourage proper hand washing. A buildingwide hand-washing campaign can be an effective way to remind workers to wash hands for at least 20 seconds as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Provide touch-free soap and towel dispensers to further minimize the spread of germs.

Survey participants reinforce that they want employers to get involved in preventing illness around the workplace. More than half of respondents—54 percent—said employers should provide "touch-free" restroom products, and 40 percent said they believe flu shots should be administered at the office.

Staples Advantage says it conducted its online survey of office workers at more than 100 businesses of all sizes across the U.S. The survey, conducted in August, asked a series of questions about workplace hygiene and its overall impact in today's business environment.

Through its facility solutions line of business, Staples Advantage claims to be one of the nation's leading cleaning and maintenance providers to small-and medium-sized businesses, Fortune 1000 companies, state and federal government agencies, and universities. In addition to that line of business, Staples sells cleaning supplies through its Web site and at its stores. It claims to be the world's largest office-products company, with operations in 26 countries and 2009 sales of $24 billion.