How Cleanliness Impacts the Workplace

Most people want a clean place to work, but even so, it’s easy to underestimate exactly how adversely an unsanitary work environment can impact business. An unclean work environment can have negative effects on employees, equipment, and your company’s bottom line. Fortunately, it’s easy to ensure the proper sanitation and upkeep of a work environment, and here are a few good reasons that should be moved to the top of your consideration list.

Equipment Longevity

Mechanical equipment – such as air conditioning, heaters, printers, coffee-makers, and more – will all break down quickly with less maintenance, and cleaning is a part of that maintenance. Dust and debris are sure to increase long-term wear and tear, meaning these items will need to be replaced more often than if regular upkeep is a staple part of business operations. Similarly, furniture, floors, and even walls can all be worn down over time by insufficient cleaning protocols. Save your business time and money by implementing productive cleaning practices that keep everything in working order longer.

Fewer Sick Days

This one is a direct benefit of keeping a clean workplace that is too often overlooked. An unsanitary environment is sure to breed germs and bacteria, and that translates into unhealthy employees. Workers spend one-third of their days at the office, so there is plenty of opportunities to catch illnesses and develop problems as the result of long periods of time spent in unhealthy environments. Plus, workers need to interact with so many shared surfaces and commonly used tools in order to perform their jobs, so it’s important for employers to do their part by making sure their workers are in a healthy environment so that they can perform effectively and miss less work to recover from preventable sickness.

Improved Morale

Frankly, being in a gross environment wears people down, and worn workers are not productive workers. It’s so much easier to focus on the task at hand when you’re not focused on thoughts like “what <em>is</em> that?” – something no employer wants their workers thinking, or worse, their customers. Plus, even if they are not getting sick enough to call into work, unsanitary conditions can still create respiratory difficulties, headaches, skin conditions, and more. All of these are guaranteed to distract your workers, and again, adversely impact their productivity throughout the day, week, and year.

Deferred Maintenance Adds Up

The longer your business goes without prioritizing cleaning, the more long-term and severe problems are sure to crop up. If your business develops a mold, a bug or rodent infestation, or another serious issue, this could even cause closures. Not only will this absolutely impact your bottom line, but it can also impact your long-term credibility. No business wants to face public scrutiny for basic safety management, but cleaning is often ignored as a fundamental aspect of safety, leaving things to spiral out control into bigger problems that can be difficult to resolve or overcome in the long run.