Illness in the workplace is unavoidable. Despite your best efforts, employees will get sick. This can have an impact not only on the wellness and morale of your workforce but also on overall business productivity.
Research suggests that illness in the workplace can lead to huge productivity losses upwards of $500 billion. On top of these serious losses, poor health can be challenging for both employees and brand leadership to manage.
Now that employers are still grappling with the lingering effects of COVID-19, workplace health is more important than ever.
It may not be possible to prevent illness entirely, but that doesn’t mean there aren't ways you can lessen the spread of viruses in the workplace. Taking proactive steps can help keep your employees healthy — and working in the office — even in the post-pandemic work environment. Even if your employees are not always working in the office, it's still important to keep a safe and healthy hybrid workspace.
Why Is a Clean and Healthy Workplace So Important?
Keeping the office clean is about more than just appearances. A clean, sanitized, and healthy workplace can go a long way towards improving the morale and performance of your staff.
On the other hand, a workplace that doesn’t take measures to protect its staff is likely to take a significant blow. An unhealthy workforce is an unhappy one — as well as a workforce that isn’t performing at its best.
Why are health and cleanliness so important in the workplace? Let’s break it down.
Workplace Morale
An employee’s health goes deeper than just their physical condition. According to the World Health Organization, workforce health promotion initiatives should be comprehensive, focusing on personal, environmental, and societal factors on employee wellbeing.
When employees stay physically healthy and in the office, it boosts overall morale. A healthier workforce creates a healthier community. When one member of the team is sick, it affects everybody.
Productivity
Healthy employees are happy employees. And the statistics show that happier employees can increase productivity — anywhere from 12% to 20%.
Productivity can also be significantly impacted by absences from the workplace. When employees take more sick days, business can suffer. It interrupts the flow of projects, forces other employees to pick up the slack, and can cause overall losses in productivity.
Additional Losses
Sickness in the office can impact a business in unexpected ways. You may find yourself burdened with additional costs like:
- Sick pay for employees taking days off
- Insurance costs for severe illnesses
- Stress in the workplace from repeated absences
- Worker’s compensation claims for workplace-related illness
- A high turnover resulting in employee acquisition costs
Keeping The Whole Team Healthy: How Regular Cleanings Can Help
At the end of the day, employers and employees are on the same team. Both can be severely affected by the impact of sickness in the office — and both parties want their work environments to be healthier. According to a survey, nearly 90% of employees highly value their health and wellness in the office, reporting that they’d be happier at a company that promotes a healthy work culture.
While there are some steps employees can take — regular hand washing, staying home when sick, and keeping up a healthy lifestyle — it may require more direct action to keep a workplace safe.
According to the CDC, regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in the workplace are critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19, as well as other viruses. Establishing a cleaning routine on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis can help maintain clean and healthy office space.
Hybrid workplace cleaning can take your safety measures one step further than the standard janitorial cleaning. An advanced and deep cleaning service is an economical option for meeting all the requirements of a healthy working space. In addition to daily cleanings, it’s recommended that offices opt for a deep clean that includes sanitization, carpet cleaning, and even duct cleaning.
For additional workplace safety, look for a commercial cleaning company that specializes in deep cleaning, decontamination, and COVID-19 safety.
Creating Healthy Employees and a Healthy Workplace
As businesses begin to reopen, regular cleaning and sanitation will remain a critical part of workplace maintenance.
Taking workplace health seriously doesn’t just keep your workplace running efficiently. It also shows your employees that you care about their well-being — and you’ll go the extra mile to ensure their safety.
At Pegasus Building Services, we prioritize health and safety for all employees returning to the office. We can offer a diverse range of cleaning services, including Hybrid Workplace Cleaning, deep-cleanings, and decontaminations. To learn more about what we offer or what we can do for you, request a quote from us today.
