As COVID continues to evolve, employees in every industry are feeling increased pressure to return to the workplace rather than working remotely. However, only 1 in 3 employees feel that their current workplace is providing confidence-inspiring levels of health and safety measures. That’s according to Cleaning and Maintenance Management Magazine, reporting on research performed for the Lysol corporation.
Is this a problem for your organization?
It might be. You want your employees to feel that they’re safe while they’re working. A significant portion of the workforce is immune compromised, has other health conditions, or lives with someone who shouldn’t be exposed to COVID. These people know that COVID rates are on the rise around the world once again, and if their safety concerns become pressing enough, they may resign.
Understanding the role of workplace cleanliness and feeling safe.
It’s important to understand what makes someone feel that an environment is adequately clean and safe. In a time when health issues are on everyone’s mind, looking to what the expectation is for cleanliness in health care settings is can set the bar for what’s desirable in other workplaces.
When people see that an area is visibly clean, they feel that it’s safer for them to be in that space. The fresher the cleaning, the stronger the impression. People take comfort in the idea that hard surfaces, such as countertops, reception desks, keypads and door knobs, are regularly cleaned and sanitized.
Cleanliness is about more than feelings.
While it’s important that employees feel safe in the workplace, the truth is that cleanliness has a direct positive impact on their health and safety. Regular office cleaning services that clean, disinfect and sanitize the facility remove harmful germs and contagious viruses from the workplace. This includes COVID but also many other distressing conditions, including norovirus and the common cold.