6 Essential Ways to Optimise Cleaning for Wellbeing and Productivity

Guest Post by Kristiana (Kris) Greenwood, Director Strategic Relationships and Advisory Board member at GJK Facility Services

Creating cleaner and safer buildings is good business sense.

Since the pandemic hit the world, one thing highlighted by COVID-19 is how important good hygiene practices and cleanliness is to preventing illness caused by viruses and bacteria. Although this is at the end of the spectrum, every year we are exposed to some form of influenza that can take hold and debilitate workforces and productivity. We are constantly surrounded by these invisible threats every day.

Unclean and unhealthy buildings can make people unwell and unproductive, costing businesses money.

Did you know that the 2019 Absence Management & Wellbeing Survey by Direct Health Solutions estimated the cost of absenteeism to the Australian economy to be $35 billion in wages and lost productivity, with $90.4 million of that caused by the flu virus spreading between workers?

Additionally, did you know the annual economic burden of “presenteeism,” where unwell staff remain in the workplace affecting productivity, is estimated to be $34 million?

Poor performance and illness can also be caused by the building itself, from the surfaces we touch to the air we breathe. However, research has shown that improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and hygiene can reduce absenteeism and enhance performance and productivity.

As evidenced by rating requirements for both the WELL Building Standard and Green Star – Performance, cleaning plays an important role in workplace wellbeing.

Across Australia, Facility Managers and Cleaning Services have successfully worked together to keep employees and visitors safe through COVID-safe cleaning protocols. It makes good business sense to continue building on this to increase workplace wellbeing and productivity throughout 2021 and beyond.

The “6 Essential Ways to Optimise Cleaning for Wellbeing and Productivity” whitepaper, developed by GJK Facility Services, in partnership with high-performance cleaning specialist Bridget Gardner, explores how cleaning enhances the wellbeing of employees in the workforce and the effect it can have on productivity.

Cleaning well is a science, but with the six actionable strategies outlined built around healthy surfaces, healthy air and healthy hands, cleaning can optimize workplace wellbeing and productivity, creating cleaner spaces, safer places.