Each year, millions of people get sick. Whether it's the common cold, the flu or something more serious, we miss a lot of work. This results in lost productivity that costs businesses billions of dollars each year. You may be a teacher, a carpenter, a line supervisor in a canning plant or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. If you come to work when you are sick, you risk spreading those germs to everyone around you. That's why handwashing is so important. Handwashing is a very simple practice that can greatly reduce your chance of getting sick.