It is not by coincidence that the modern office space has come to be characterised by precise and orderly cubicles for each individual employee, in a well air-conditioned room, with clearly sorted and easy to find documents and office supplies. No one wants to work in a dingy, stuffy, cramped room full of dust and accumulated filth, especially in a hot country like Australia. You’d be hard-pressed to find a productive space wherein one has to rummage through endless disorganised, cobwebbed mountains of files in order to get anything done. These issues can be detrimental not only to overall productivity and workflow efficiency, but also to the employees’ physical and mental well-being.
Modern corporate culture demands that the working environments provided by employers to their employees be orderly, intuitive, and clean, especially considering the fact that workers spend in excess of 40 hours per week at the office. There are indeed very good reasons behind what has now become an industry standard and these all have to do with employee satisfaction, which leads to a tangible and measurable increase in productivity over the entire career of the employee. There are proven benefits to clean and organised workspaces, as well as liabilities to be considered for unclean workspaces. Unsanitary workplaces can quickly become unsafe environments.
So, what can you do to ensure your workplace is operating at high productivity, all of the time? We believe healthier spaces create happier people. So take our steps, reasons outlined below, to cleaning up and clearing out all the unwanted extras.
Spread creativity, and positivity, instead of germs and contagion.
1. Clean spaces lead to employee satisfaction.
Providing a clean and well-organized work environment for your employees will lead to them being more appreciative of your company, and make them feel valued and important. There have been reports of more orderly workplaces having fewer problems with absenteeism, and a quicker turnaround when breaks are over. This feeling of being valued and respected comes with definite benefits to employee motivation and happiness, and these have been proven repeatedly to contribute greatly to workplace productivity.
2. Improved productivity.
A well-organised and clean workplace is also very important for productivity, in the sense that it minimises the opportunity for the propagation of distractions. The conditions in the workplace have two main effects on distractions. Firstly, a disorganised office can create confusion as to the location of certain vital documents, supplies, even people. Imagine having your employees spend fifteen minutes at a time searching for something they need to continue working, and having this happen multiple times a day per employee. When these are all added up and calculated, this results in almost a 20 percent decrease in productivity, simply because employees do not have quick access to what they need when they need it.
The other aspect of workplace conditions leading to distractions simply owes to the fact that any sort of discomfort can knock people off their game, and make them lose focus. This is particularly the case if the rooms the work takes place in are not properly aired out, as fresh air contributes to better cognitive skills, but stuffy air reduces cognitive ability. This is especially important in Australia, as the natural conditions are less conducive to work than in other countries. In fact, studies show that cognitive abilities may decrease as much as 10 percent in unkempt working conditions. Simply put, if the room where you are working is stuffy and full of dust particles, and the desks and floor are unkempt, your mind is more likely to focus on those things than on the work you are supposed to be doing.
3. Scientific backing
A study conducted by Jeffrey L. Campbell in 2008 came up with very interesting findings when matters of cleanliness are concerned. With a sample size of 1481 participants, the final result of the study indicated that as many as 88 percent of the respondents reported a decrease in concentration and productivity due to sub-standard workplace hygiene. The data relating to the answers to individual questions are perhaps even more illuminating. When asked at what level they felt that the cleanliness of the environment began to impair their ability to focus, the vast majority reported that even a casual and moderate level of inattention began to noticeably affect their cognitive abilities. They also indicated that a tidy (but not necessarily spotless) working environment contributes to better results. Finally, a very convincing 78.1 percent of the respondents indicated that the cleanliness of the building had an impact on their health.
4. Health and safety concerns
This brings us to the next crucial argument for providing a clean and tidy work environment. There are simply too many health risks associated with unclean workplaces to be ignored. Everyone has had the experience of a seasonal flu epidemic breaking out at work, which can last several weeks and decimate the workforce, leading to a sharp decline in productivity. However, there are also more serious considerations to be kept in mind. First of all, if you have a break kitchen which is used by many employees, it is vital that it be kept absolutely pristine, since deteriorating food and beverage leftovers can lead to food poisoning, or to the appearance of vermin such as mice or ants, which in turn may lead to other health concerns. Leftovers can also contribute to bacteria forming self-supporting colonies of biofilm.
A high concentration of dust particles in the air has been proven to cause asthma and other allergies from prolonged exposure. That is why it is crucial that the entire workplace be dust-free, especially considering the fact that computers practically collect dust every day inside their cooling systems. There should also be strict hygiene guidelines in place to ensure that, once the workplace is clean, it stays that way. As an employer, you should expect your employees to clean up after themselves, and observe the basic hygienic procedures scrupulously, to reduce the chances of any sort of disease breaking out. And these days there’s even more that employers themselves can do to protect their people. For example, antimicrobial fogging services offered by companies like Comsan, can dramatically reduce the presence of disease-causing germs in an office.
5. A better image for your company
Finally, the cleanliness of the workplace simply adds to a better overall image for your company. A clean, well-lighted workplace with organised folders in a dust free environment adds to the feeling of professionalism and can lead clients to place more trust in you and your company. In the interest of providing a positive first impression for your clients and new employees, make sure you provide a spotless working environment which just screams of professionalism, attention to detail and efficiency. And if you are any taking extra steps to make your workplace healthier make sure that you let people know! For example, Comsan’s clients often display their Certificate of Sanitation in their reception and meeting areas. Improving your image in these ways may just land you the contract of a lifetime!
If you’re interested to increase productivity and improve your company’s reputation, health and overall happiness, now is the time to make a change. Comsan offers a non-toxic and eco-friendly answer to properly, accurately and comprehensively sanitise your workplace. We are dedicated to helping reduce the spread of diseases to your employees, clients and partners. After all, prevention is better than a cure.