As professional cleaners we have seen many examples of poor office hygiene and what it can do to staff sickness levels so we have decided to post this blog to make our blog readers more aware of what's in store for them if they don't take steps to look after and protect their staff in the office.
Viruses
No, we are not talking about viruses on your desktop computer or network server, instead we are talking about colds, flu, stomach bugs and general other ailments spread around the office. Both types of virus can cost you time and money, but we'll only focus on viruses (and germs) in humans in this blog.
Many people eat at their work desks and perhaps unknowingly drop small bits of food around their workspace. Left unnoticed this can begin to fester, attract vermin (in the worst cases) and generally add unwanted bugs and bacteria to desks, bins, keyboards and phones.
In today's modern working offices many workers share space, computers and phones and this can quickly spread bugs around like wildfire, so it is important to ensure you inform staff the importance of office hygiene - without it your staff could be out sick on regular occasions resulting in lost profits and a reduction in overall team morale.
Check Your Office Hygiene Inventory
Each week we suggest you look at your inventory and see if supplies of paper towels, bleach, bathroom cleaners, anti bacterial sprays and soap are running low. A quick inventory will make sure you never run out - something that shouldn't happen. You wouldn't let it happen at home and you should treat the office with equal respect. If you do run out you are leaving the "door open" to a decrease in office hygiene.
Inform and Educate Your Staff
Leave notices in the office washrooms that provide simple to follow instructions to enable your staff to make it a habit to wash their hands thoroughly in hot soapy water for at least 30 seconds before they return to their desks (or office kitchen!)
Some people recommend you use a paper towel to open the door to protect yourself from those who have not washed their hands - increasingly many companies are choosing electrical hand driers over paper towels so this is something you can do out of choice (and if paper towels are available).
If you do not have dedicated office cleaners (and really you should!) you'll also have to make sure that desk area's, chairs, keyboards, phones etc get wiped down with antibacterial wipes or soap on a daily basis. Remind staff to keep the office kitchen clean, wiping down any spills on surfaces or down cupboards, removing left-over food from the office fridge every Friday and ensuring bins are properly used (especially important if you have a rubbish recycling scheme in operation).
In Conclusion
With the hectic pace of todays lifestyle its all too easy to forget about the importance of hygiene but we all have to be on our guard to make sure we're not allowing employees to get sick through the spread of germs - a small amount of time and thought will work wonders for everyones health.
We found the following video which offers more info on office hygiene.
http://video.about.com/infectiousdiseases/Germy-Offices.htm
