Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, local business’s have seen an increase in employee absenteeism and sick leave being taken due to illness acquired by themselves or family members in close proximity. Absenteeism is a frustrating situation that can lead to a loss in productivity and staff morale, and a general decline in the overall performance of your workforce. While several factors can contribute to the health of your employees, one critical aspect often overlooked is workplace cleanliness. Arguably, the pandemic’s impacts are not over yet, continuing to maintain a clean and hygienic work environment is essential for promoting employee health and reducing the spread of illness.
Dirty Surfaces: A Bacteria Breeding Ground
Let’s dive into why cleanliness in a commercial workspace matters and how it can decrease the amount of sick days taken by your staff. A clean workplace helps prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Numerous studies have shown that commonly shared surfaces, such as doorknobs, keyboards, and communal areas, can harbour a multitude of bacteria pathogens. A 2015 study found that an average employee is likely to touch their face 23 times per hour. When employees come into contact with contaminated surfaces, they can unknowingly transfer germs to their hands, then to their face, leading to a higher likelihood of infection or contraction of a bacteria related illness. Regular cleaning and disinfection of work spaces, combined with regular hand-washing and use of anti-bacterial hand sanitiser, significantly reduces this risk of illness transmission.
Personal Hygiene
The staff of any workplace also play an important role in maintaining good cleaning standards. This can be achieved by encouraging a culture of cleanliness and hygiene in a variety of ways:
– By providing adequate training on proper hand-washing techniques
– Providing hand sanitisers at every work station
– Promoting personal responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in individual work areas.
Empowering your staff to take an active role in workplace cleanliness creates a sense of ownership and collective responsibility for maintaining a consistently clean & healthy work environment.
Hire Professional Cleaners
Investing in professional commercial cleaning services can contribute significantly to the reduction of illness related absenteeism. While regular cleaning by employees is important, hiring trained professionals ensures a thorough and systematic approach to maintaining a pristine workspace. Professional cleaners have the knowledge, skills and expertise to identify problem areas, use appropriate cleaning agents, and adhere to best practices.
The quality and cleanliness of an office environment can contribute significantly to staff requiring sick leave. Unclean surfaces and poor personal hygiene can lead to the transmission of bacteria between staff, increasing the chance of infection. This can be prevented through regular cleaning of work-spaces, regular hand-washing and the use of professional cleaning services.
Life Style Cleaning Services is here to Help!
Outsourcing cleaning tasks allows your employees to focus on their core responsibilities while ensuring that your workplace remains clean and hygienic. Lifestyle Cleaning Services knows what that looking after your people creates a positive and productive workplace where people feel safe and want to work.
If you are a business that cares about it’s people, give Lifestyle Cleaning Services a call on 02 4932 8187 for an obligation-free quote today. We would love to assist with looking after your staff’s well being as we do with ours! You can also fill out a contact form here!