No one likes to get sick. But as an employer, an outbreak of flu will devastate your company’s productivity in the short terms and, if staff sickness becomes a recurring problem, affect morale and staff retention in the long term.
Almost half of UK office staff say that they have fallen ill due to the poor hygiene habits of their colleagues, and it’s little wonder when only 62% of people don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom. No wonder cold and flu spread through the office like wildfire.
Sickness Absence
Even worse, 40% of staff say they have recently taken at least one sick day as a direct result of bad hygiene around the office and 1 in 10 women and 1 in 20 men say they have considered finding a new job because their current workplace hygiene levels are so poor.
So, how can we improve the general hygiene levels in your office for the wellbeing of your staff, but also to reduce the number of sick days taken and therefore boosting both productivity and profit margins?
The Workplace ‘Hero’
Every office has got at least one of these. The person that thinks that not only is it OK to come into work when they’re ill, but they think it’s a badge of honour. The truth is whilst this person is coughing and spluttering their way through the day, not only are they being highly unproductive, but they are infecting everyone else around them.
The ramifications of a flu outbreak spread far beyond the confines of your office. When people fall ill often friends and family members also get sick, which is particularly bad for the elderly and very young.
Have a fair sickness policy. If you don’t pay people when they’re off work sick, guess what, they will come in and make everyone else ill too.
Bad Habits
So, apart from coming into work when you’re ill, what other bad habits need tackling?
Well, here are eight of the top culprits which contribute to bad hygiene in offices according to a survey of more than 1,000 UK workers.
- Sneezing without a tissue
- Leaving dirty dishes in the sink
- Not washing hands thoroughly and regularly
- Not flushing the toilet
- Not emptying bins until they are overflowing
- Eating at a desk
- Not disposing of sanitary products appropriately
- Biting nails
Given all that, what can you do to cut down on unhygienic habits and make sure your office is a healthy place to work?
Education, Education, Education
Well, the good news is that most of your staff are probably already well-trained. Some well-placed notices to remind people to wash their hands will go a long way, as will providing tissues and bins at people’s desks.
Without patronising, educate your staff about the consequences of unhygienic habits and help eradicate germs from your office forever.
And, of course, it’s always wise to get the experts in. Hire a professional office cleaning company like CCS and we’ll take care of all your hygiene and sanitisation. Get in touch now for a quote.