Healthy workplace, happy business

Carl Robinson, Marketing Manager for cleaning and FM specialist Nviro offers up some facts and professional solutions on the subject on office hygiene, and how a good cleaning regime can drive staff productivity and business growth.

To drive growth and revenue, businesses will always look to reinvent themselves with new marketing campaigns, promotional events and a plethora of other development techniques they may have at their disposal. However, many pass up on the opportunity to look in on themselves to see how they may actually be losing revenue because of issues around staff sickness, unmotivated workforces and an environment that fails to provide the conditions for a productive days work.

We have all suffered from the same old scenario when you sit down at your desk ready for a full day’s work. As you try to recover your keyboard from the swell of paper and mess, you find yourself trapped. Attempting to prise your arms from the grip of yesterday’s spilt coffee, which proves to be a surprisingly sticky substance once left overnight. Now, imagine a similar state of affairs on a wider scale, with clutter filled communal areas, messy kitchens and dirty washrooms, and you have an environment that is both hard to work in and very dangerous for the well-being of staff.

This may be an exaggerated picture of a worst case scenario, however, the message it holds is very clear. A study conducted by a Sydney-based cleaning company earlier this year cemented the findings of research that has been going on for many years. Statistics gathered over the last 10 to 15 years revealed that business productivity and profit margins increase significantly when the workspace is clean and comfortable. This report holds the evidence that proves that investing in cleaning may offer the fastest route to making external gains.

What the nuts and bolts of this research prove are not exactly groundbreaking to both businesses and cleaning contractors, however, the study’s longevity gives more credibility to earlier research. It supports prior evidence that there is a real need for companies to place more precedence on cleaning and hygiene. To not just drive their own growth, but to provide environments that place staff well-being at the top of their agendas.

Staff hygiene and absenteeism

Staff absenteeism costs British businesses an estimated £32billion each year, with 131million work days lost due to sickness absence. It’s important to remember that all employees aren’t angels, and the odd few too many on a Sunday evening may leave them unable to attend work the next day. However, with seasonal infections such as flu, colds and ‘bugs’ on the rise each year, companies need an action plan to guard against the spread of illnesses, which can force employees to be absent for extended periods of time.

The main culprit for the spread of viruses and infections is the washroom. These can be a dreaded site in large offices so it’s important that the right chemicals are used. And that they are put into effect in all areas of the bathroom. Every surface, from toilets to the urinals, mirrors, wash basins, and hand towel cabinets needs to be disinfected. And to finish, the whole area should be mopped clean. Not one surface should be left to stand as the harbourer of the germs that will cause the spread of any nasty bugs.

You can’t always rely on employees washing their hands after using the washroom, so this disinfection process should spread to both the kitchen and desks. A computers keyboard and mouse are notoriously the dirtiest areas in an office, so all should receive a good wipe down, alongside the desk and surrounding working area. Busy office workers aren’t the cleanest bunch, and they certainly won’t always treat their office space like they would their home. This is why it is imperative to have a cleaning team that are not just professional, but scrupulous across the whole of the cleaning regime.

Clean offices that drive business growth

Evidence suggests that clean and hygienic offices can drive businesses by helping to motivate a more productive workforce. However, it also has a further reaching role within its impact on business growth. Just as you wouldn’t want to eat in a dirty restaurant, or buy goods from an unclean shop, the same can be said about businesses. If a prospective client walks into an office with soiled carpets and a grubby appearance, what are they then going to think about the way your company is being run. You can be assured that even though this may appear to be quite a minor issue in the grand scheme of a business, it has a great effect on the professional image you want your company to portray.

We can all admit that when it comes to cleanliness we can get a bit fickle. From judging someone for a dirty bathroom when nature calls in their home, to reluctantly shaking the hand of someone with dirt under their nails. But the inherent concern that lies behind these fears of unclean environments is backed up by enough evidence, which proves that the cleaning regime within working environments should form the backbone of a company’s business strategy. If companies want to survive in such a difficult climate, they may benefit from something as simple as a revised cleaning regime, which can be a lot cheaper than a new marketing campaign.

Published in Cleaning & Maintenance – September 2013