A holistic approach creates a healthy, happy workplace

Getting workplace well-being right is essential for 21^st century businesses that need to prevent staff absenteeism and the disruption to productivity this causes. Keri Reynolds, marketing manager for PHS Washrooms, explains how looking at the workplace as a whole, and making sure all aspects are covered, is a smart strategy for success.

The most delicious dishes are the result of a number of contributing factors. The freshest ingredients, prepared with the best quality equipment, by a skilled chef, in hygienic surroundings, have the best chance of being transformed into a recipe that attracts rave reviews. The same is true in the workplace. Staff that feel supported and safe – thanks to a welcoming, accessible, comfortable and clean environment – are much more likely to perform at their best.

Staff sickness can cost individual companies dearly in terms of both time and money, so it is in an employer’s best interests to minimise the chances of this happening by ensuring employees feel protected, respected and nurtured. According to ‘Sickness Absence in the Labour Market, April 2012’, issued by the Office for National Statistics in May last year, 131 million days were lost due to sickness absences in the UK in 2011 – with knock-on costs to employers running into the billions.

In its ‘Health, Work and Well-being’ booklet, ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service) states that: “Work can have a positive impact on our health and well-being. Healthy and well-motivated employees can have an equally positive impact on the productivity and effectiveness of a business.” The guide goes on to say that ACAS believes that there are six indicators of a healthy workplace:

• Line managers are confident and trained in people skills
• Employees feel valued and involved in the organisation
• Managers use appropriate health services (e.g. occupational health where practicable) to tackle absence and help people get back to work
• Managers promote an attendance culture by conducting return to work discussions
• Jobs are flexible and well-designed
• Managers know how to manage common health problems such as mental health and musculoskeletal disorders

Providing motivation through training and support, and an ‘open door’ management policy for employees who have questions or concerns, can undoubtedly help reduce stress and encourage employees to go that extra mile – but the physical environment also plays a crucial role.

Facilities with the feel-good factor

Employers must provide their staff with a safe and healthy environment and take their welfare needs into account. In ‘Workplace health, safety and welfare – a short guide for managers’, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) outlines the aspects that need to be considered, and the measures that need to be taken. This includes ventilation, temperature, lighting, cleanliness, room dimensions and space, workstations and seating.

Regarding hygiene and welfare, the HSE states that, among other things, employers must also provide:

• Clean toilets and hand basins, with running hot and cold warm water, soap and towels or another suitable means of drying
• Drinking water
• Facilities for rest and to eat meals
• Accommodation for clothing and facilities for changing

The washroom is somewhere that companies can make a considerable difference to the well-being of their workforce. A healthy balance sheet isn’t the only thing that companies need to concentrate on if they want to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Maintaining a healthy workforce is also of paramount importance. Without healthy employees, a company cannot hope to be able to deliver the products and services it offers on time, every time, and therefore retain and increase client satisfaction.

Seasonal infections such as flu, colds and ‘bugs’ of all kinds can seriously disrupt a company’s business through days lost while employees are ill, so maintaining clean staff washrooms to guard against the spread of coughs and sniffles is crucial.

A washroom should be scrupulously clean at all times – in terms of sight, touch and smell. Offensive odours do not make for a happy, healthy workplace so air freshening systems can help to create a fresh-smelling atmosphere. However, bear in mind that some scents can cause headaches for certain people, so ‘fragrance-free’ odour sterilising techniques could be the answer. Systems like this – such as PHS’s Biozone, not only resolve odour problems, but also destroy bacteria in the air and on surfaces, bringing extra benefits that your staff will appreciate.

Correctly equipped washrooms with the right facilities to ensure a high level of hygiene standards will help to control infections and lessen the chances of cross contamination. The provision of anti-bacterial soaps and dispensers, effective hand drying systems, regular cleaning by trained cleaning operatives, and routine checks for contamination are all essential.

For an added level of protection, PHS Washrooms offers a wide range of products incorporating SteriTouch^®. SteriTouch^® is a range of antimicrobial masterbatches, additives and coatings that have been proven to dramatically reduce the spread of pathogenic germs such as MRSA, E.coli, and salmonella, and it’s now permanently embedded into PHS products such as hand dryers, sanitary disposal units, dispensers for toilet rolls, hand towels and soap. It won’t wear off over time, requires no special upkeep or maintenance and lasts the lifetime of the product, ensuring consistent protection for washrooms.

In addition to well-equipped washrooms, hand sanitisers can offer another valuable level of protection. They can be wall or stand-mounted and sited in reception areas, in waiting rooms or any areas that see heavy footfall as a reminder to employees and visitors to take the appropriate measures. PHS’s NO-GERMS^TM hand sanitiser, which is also available as a hand wash, kills 99.9% of all germs, is effective against swine flu, MRSA and flu viruses, and also comes in a 25ml spray bottle. This enables staff to carry it with them, ensuring they have protection wherever they are.

Surroundings that inspire

I’m not aware of any statistics that definitively calculate the time the average person spends at work during their lives, but I think it’s probably safe to say that it’s a considerable amount. It therefore makes sense to ensure that workplaces are as comfortable as possible, to increase staff attendance and retention, and get the best out of employees while they are there.

Innovative interior design can help, so flooring materials, lighting, office furniture, wall coverings and colours can be used to create an atmosphere conducive to productive, but enjoyable, working. Plants and flowers can also contribute, whether used inside a building or as part of exterior landscaping, and even trees can be used to great effect, depending on the space available.

Other ‘green’ issues can also play a considerable role in making a workplace more welcoming and inspiring. Companies and organisations that show a definite commitment to reducing the impact their activities have on the environment can reap a number of benefits. By implementing water and energy saving strategies, significant financial savings can be made. As well as the financial benefits, by demonstrating your company’s environmental awareness you may attract new customers and employees who are impressed by your commitment to becoming ‘greener’.

The public is increasingly involved in environmental issues. By promoting schemes such as car sharing and recycling, as well as partnering with product and service providers that can prove their ‘green’ credentials through third party endorsements, your employees are going to feel rightly proud to work for an organisation that is trying to make a difference to the local, and wider community. The PHS Group is aware how important this is – to its own employees as well as its stakeholders and customers – and it is proud that the sanitary disposal unit exchange services offered by the Washrooms division, and its Waterlogic dispensers, are both certified by the Carbon Trust.

With 50 years’ experience as a workplace services provider, the PHS Group has seen many changes and developments in its lifetime. Its subsidiary operating companies, which are growing in number all the time, are continually evolving to provide a wide-ranging portfolio – from washroom services and commercial landscaping, to floor restoration, recycling, confidential waste management – and even Christmas tree hire! Our main aim is to improve work and leisure spaces, while making life easier for facilities managers. By looking at the workplace as a whole, and ensuring that the most appropriate equipment, products and services are easily accessible to employees, companies can do a vast amount to improve their staff’s well-being.

For more information contact PHS Washrooms on 029 2080 9090, email productinfo@phs.co.uk or visit www.phs.co.uk/washrooms

Published in Cleaning Hygiene Today – March 2013