Priorities shift in a crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different. A recent study reveals that health, not just our own, but the health of others, is a big concern. We can all agree that health is important, but this recent shift will have a major impact on employers and the workplace. As we’re all prioritizing our health, more pressure is being put on employers to implement stricter workplace cleaning protocols to meet the demands of their employees and make them feel safe returning to the office.
Stricter Workplace Cleaning Protocols
How many times have you stood in front of your employees and celebrated a success that wouldn’t have happened if not for your team’s hard work? Every boss has made this speech at one time or another. While every employee appreciates being appreciated, what they would appreciate, nay, what they are demanding these days, is that you appreciate them enough to implement more thorough sanitization and disinfection protocols in the office.
Not only is everyone a bit more of a germaphobe these days, but working from home, despite a global pandemic, made people less sick than in an average work year. Many employees believe that they are safer working from home, and the office is often the cause of widespread illness, whether it’s the common cold, annual flu, or COVID-19. If you want to give employees an incentive to come back to work, you need stricter workplace cleaning protocols.
Study Takeaways
In April 2021, R-Zero surveyed the changing mentality of 982 office workers across the US through The Harris Poll. The two biggest takeaways from this study on Corporate Health Responsibility are:
- 91% of employees surveyed believe that it is the responsibility of the employer to implement more strict cleaning protocols in the office
- Three out of five employees would consider leaving a job that didn’t prioritize health and cleanliness in the office
If you want to hold on to your employees and make your business more attractive to the best employees and customers in the future, it’s time to listen to what they find important.
What Employees Expect From Their Employers
Fortunately, the demands of your employees aren’t unreasonable or unattainable:
- Provide hand sanitizer stations
- Stricter sanitization and disinfection of the building, especially high-touch areas
- Improve indoor air quality and air purification
- Implement company-wide safety and health protocols in case of sickness
- Allow employees to stay home when not feeling well
Are you doing everything you can to make your employees feel safe coming back to work? Do you need to upgrade your cleaning regimen at the office? The team at KG Facility Solutions is ready to get your building at a level of cleanliness that meets and even exceeds, your employees’ health and cleanliness requirements.