How To Tell If Your Office Could Be Contributing To Absenteeism
The price tag of lost productivity due to sickness and absenteeism in the Australian workplace amounts to billions each year and a contributing factor to this alarming statistic is that the typical office desk has been found to house excess amounts of harmful bacteria. Other common germ-infested office areas include elevator buttons, microwave doors, fridge doors, computer keyboards, telephones, computer mice and even the coffee cups. Surface areas like the phone or computer can harbour viruses responsible for spreading sickness for hours and sometimes for months. Wondering what your workplace risk is? The following factors will increase your need for an office deep clean.
- Open-Plan Layouts
Open-plan workspaces put employees more at risk of falling sick than employees in private offices. Premises with an open-plan layout necessitate a stricter adherence to thorough cleaning schedules. It may be hard to believe, but the conditions of an environment have been found to influence the way we behave. Employees who wouldn’t normally litter are more likely to do so in a dirty environment. One reason for this is that following the norm is easier than taking responsibility for an already dirty environment.
- Shared Stationery
While digital technology has meant less reliance on paperwork, there are many instances when we still come into contact with paper in our day-to-day activities. It may be sharing meeting minutes with a colleague, reading the newspaper in the breakroom during lunch or leaving someone a message. Pens are another common item that are shared and even chewed on.
How To Reduce Sickness In The Workplace
- Encourage Better Hygiene Practices
Employees should be encouraged to implement best practice hygiene methods such as washing hands and wiping down desk surfaces after using them.
- Put In Place Better Hygienic Workplace Facilities
It’s the responsibility of every Australian employee to ensure that their employees have a workplace environment that meets health and safety standards. Providing easy access to antibacterial wipes and hand sanitisers and having a professional commercial cleaning contractor keep premises clean and tidy are highly recommended.
For a thorough workplace clean, trust in the services of an experienced, reputable contractor. Ankars Commercial Cleaning Service offers superior commercial cleaning in Sunshine Coast. Give us a call today to find out what we do and why we do it best.