5 Benefits of a Clean Work Environment

Clean and Organized Office Atmosphere

Cleanliness is an important part of any kind of environment. The benefits and positive effects of a clean and tidy environment greatly outweigh the effort that goes into maintaining it. Regardless of the location you are occupying, keeping it clean is as important as eating good and drinking water to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Not only that, a clean and healthy environment can avoid unseen hazards and safety concerns. Whether you are living at your house, working in an office or driving your vehicle for long distances, tidiness has its justifiable impacts and benefits.

A clean and neat workplace is an important part of your business and it should be your number one priority when running a business. Sadly however, it is often overlooked by owners of offices and buildings and not much effort and budget is allocated towards upholding neatness. The payback of maintaining a clean work environment can far exceed the costs involved. The most crucial component of any work environment is its people, and businesses can make a positive impact on safety and health of workers by providing a clean and hygienic workplace, from cubicles to common areas to restrooms. Stephen Collins, founder and president of Stephco Cleaning & Restoration based in Holbrook, Mass often mentions, “Commercial cleaning is really and investment.”

 

 

So what are the many Benefits of a Clean Work Environment? In this post, let us discuss the 5 major benefits of a clean, neat and organized Office Environment.

1-Creating a Good First Impression

First impressions matter a lot in a business. It can make or break a potential client for you. As a businessman and office owner, you must make sure that you are only doing your best and choosing the right ways to make good first impressions. You need to be wary about the ways and people you choose to represent your company. Whether it is your receptionist at the entrance of your office, or your own workplace. A clean working environment can prove to be an effective marketing tactic to use on your visitors and walk-in customers. A neat and organized workplace looks appealing and welcoming to potential clients. This approach automatically develops trust and confidence in the mind of your customer. If your clients are treated in a clean and tidy space, they will know they are in proficient hands.

This can not only be used to retain clients, but also your employees. This is especially important if you have new employees and interviewees coming in. What they will see in the beginning will shape an opinion in their mind about the company they are going to work for.

On the other hand, dirty floors and smudgy meeting tables will easily tell the new customers that you are unable to maintain standard professionalism and lack the ability to treat your employees well, let alone a new client.

2-Improved Employee Health

As told, the most crucial component of any company or business is its people. The deserving employees and workers are often rewarded for their efforts in the form of bonuses and other incentives/benefits. However, a clean work environment is also one of their basic rights and as a businessman you should do your best to provide them a healthy work atmosphere. If you neglect the tidiness of the workplace, you are also neglecting the health of your employees and yourself. The health of your employees is incredibly important, and a key part of that is preventing the spread of any harmful bacteria or germs. Keeping a work environment clean can benefit in numerous ways related to employee health and safety.

Offices can easily become a substantial source of bacteria and other germs if they are not cleaned regularly. Bacteria thrive in office environments because people spend a significant part of their days in office. Germs and diseases can spread far more easily in an unclean workspace. They can spread through very common things we touch on a daily basis without even thinking, like doorknobs, phones, keyboards, mouse and desks.

Businesses that are incapable of creating a clean office environment will see an increase in sick leaves and absentees among staff, which can affect productivity.

3-Workplace Safety

Health hazards are not the only disadvantage of a dirty environment. An untidy and unorganized workspace can not only cause health issues and sickness, but also cause injuries! Disorderly workplaces can be cause of trips and slips which can lead to minor or major accidents. Most commonly, the spillages that go uncleaned are a serious safety hazard. Addressing spills and leaks quickly and keeping the entrance, exits and commonly used part of the office clear from any unorganized office supplies can prevent such safety risks, therefore reducing the risk of injuries.

Another major benefit of maintaining a safe work environment is that it can save you from a lot of legal troubles such as costly lawsuits from employees and fines from local authorities. Your local authority can instruct you on health and safety rules and regulations you must comply with. Failing to do so can result in fines and even worse, your business being shut down. You must, therefore, consult with the knowledgeable authority to educate yourself about the health standards that can prevent legal damage to your business.

To avoid any of the above mentioned scenarios, it’s vital that you take health and safety seriously and ensure that your workplace adheres to high standards.

4-Focused and Happier Employees

For most employees, their workplace is like a second home. Considering an average employee spends about 8-9 hours in office, you need to make sure they are comfortable while working. Employee well-being has gained importance in the past years and now it is more important than ever for owners and directors to ensure that those working for them are happy. Messy and dirty environments can result in lack of focus, and for some people, it can also become a cause of anxiety and distress. So by keeping the work environment well-organized, you’re allowing your employees to be productive, focused, and more importantly, happy.

5-Increased Productivity

Sick leaves cost businesses $225.8 billion annually in the United States only. By keeping your office healthy and safe, you can prevent illness and injuries among employees. One of the major advantages of a clean, healthy and safe work environment is improved employee productivity. It goes without saying that healthy employees working in a safe environment will boost the office productivity. Therefore, a super-clean environment can prove to be one of the best routes to success. Also, it is understandable that cluttered and untidy workplaces can cause distractions, which can cost your business and valuable man-hours. So, it’s definitely something you want to prevent. Frankly speaking, we all can easily get distracted by our thoughts and other things, but at least your employees won’t have to worry when it comes to their health and safety.

Moreover, not many business owners realize this, but your employees are also a great marketing channel for your business. When they meet their friends and family, they talk about their work and share information about company products and services during casual conversations. If your employees are unsatisfied with how the office environment is operating, they are less likely to engage in such conversations or participate in any type of business-related promotion.

How to Maintain Workplace Cleanliness

• First and foremost, NEVER ask your employees to perform any kind of cleaning duties. If needed, invest in a cleaning crew who are perfectly capable of all kinds of cleaning tasks like cleaning windows, floors, carpets, hallways and even outside of the building.
• It’s important to invest in quality hygiene and restroom products like air-fresheners, anti-septic soaps, hand washes and disposable wipes.
• As you are focusing on choosing hygiene product for your office, it is also important that you re-stock such products on time to avoid any illness due to germs in office, especially during flu seasons.
• While you are serious about imposing health and safety standards in your workplace, it is also important that each and every employee is complying with the regulations. You can do that keeping a close eye on employee activities and consider using signs to promote safety and health regulations in your office.
• Air Quality is also a major factor that can influence the workspace performance and the health of your employees. The amount of indoor pollution in a closed workspace can prove to me more hazardous than the outdoors air. You can avoid this by controlling dust emission in your office and regularly cleaning surfaces. Consider planting in your office too that can clear carbon dioxide from the air and provide your workers with clean air and oxygen.

Maintaining a healthy and clean workplace may be a tough challenge in the beginning, but it is beneficial to everyone in the end. By keeping your workplace clean and healthy, you can make sure that your employees are happy and working at their full potential. As a business owner, if you think that your workplace cleanliness can be improved, please free to hire our Professional Cleaning Services. Contact us today to see the differences