Whether you own the business or are one of the supervisors, maintaining office cleanliness is one of your responsibilities.
For one, we all know that a clean environment is more inviting. It shows that you care about how things look and people feel on your business premises. Thus, when your employees or visitors come through the workplace, they will feel safe, comfortable, and welcome.
Your workplace will look more professional, so your potential clients will also be more compelled to work with you.
Another benefit to a clean work environment is that it can help reduce wear and tear on your office furniture and equipment. This includes carpeting and electronics. After all, replacing old furniture, upholstery, and office tools can be expensive.
In addition, the use of chemical container systems when handling chemicals and hazardous substances in the workplace can reduce potential risk of harm or occupational health issues to workers.
Therefore, simply maintaining them can help you save money. It also ensures that your employees can work efficiently and effectively.
Last but not least, a clean work environment can help improve your health. If you do not believe us, listed below are the five health benefits of having a clean work environment that you can reap when prioritizing a clean work environment:
1. Reduced Stress
Work-related stress can be a significant problem in your company. It has been shown that stress can reduce productivity and even affect the employees’ overall health.
There are various causes of stress in the workplace, but they all have one thing in common: Decreased performance.
Some of the causes of stress are sleep deprivation, emotional triggers, lack of sleep, and high-stress environments. Another factor that can aggravate stress levels is clutter and mess. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to be more aware of the cleanliness of the work environment.
A clean work environment can reduce stress by making the employee feel more at ease. A clean desk can even specifically make employees feel more productive and relaxed.
Thus, the first step is to prioritize having a clear and clutter-free desk. Get rid of non-work items like toys, trinkets, food, and water bottles. Keeping the desk clear of too many things will help keep the mind clear of distractions and better focus on the tasks at hand.
A great option is to use a commercial cleaning and janitorial service such as Sweeping Hands Cleaning Service.
Another way to maintain a clean and organized workplace is by using a document scanner. This tool will help you scan all of your paper documents and convert them into digital files which are easy to find, edit, share, or archive. Aside from that, it’s more environmentally friendly to become a more paperless work environment.
2. Strong Immune System
One of the most significant benefits of a clean work environment is boosting people’s immunity.
The immune system is the body’s defense against disease and illness. Given that reason, it is vital to take care of the immune system to prevent diseases and infections. Nowadays, taking care of one’s immune system shouldn’t be on the back burner anymore. Luckily, there are many ways to take care of it, such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.
However, when you’re in the workplace, one of the best things you can do is keep the work environment as clean as possible.
The statistics are in, and the data proves that the cleaner the office, the lower the incidence of illness. A clean office environment has been shown to reduce exposure to contagious diseases by 80-90%. Since people are less exposed to these diseases, you will help protect their immune systems. At the same time, you can also reduce absenteeism in the office and discourage presenteeism from your employees.
3. Less Sick Days
As mentioned above, people who work in a clean environment are more productive and have lower absenteeism rates. That means that your employees won’t need to take sick days as often, or they’ll be sick less frequently so that they won’t feel compelled to work while sick.
Of course, if they are sick, they mustn’t be pressured to show up in the workplace. Another thing you should avoid is presenteeism. It is when an employee would still show up at work even though they are not productive.
This often happens when employees feel that taking sick leave can lose their job. As such, cultivate the culture of rest and recovery, coupled with proper sick leave and health benefits. Otherwise, no cleaning will make the office healthy for you and your employees.
By cleaning the workplace, you reduce the spread of disease-causing within the office. Thus, leading to fewer sick days or absenteeism.
4. Increased Productivity
A clean workplace is not just a “nice thing to have”. It should be mandatory as it can be a vital part of an employee’s productivity. There are many ways it does this.
First, if the workplace is cluttered, your employees have to spend way too long working through the clutter around them. This can lead to unnecessary dawdling, hurting their productivity.
Another way it can make employees less productive is that clutter can make them sick if they stay in a dirty and messy environment for long hours. That’s why it is in the company’s best interest to invest in the overall cleanliness of the workplace, no matter what.
5. Reduced Risks and Accidents
A clean workplace is not just about aesthetics. A clean workplace can reduce accidents, and in turn, reduce risks for employees.
Cleanliness is always good for employers. That’s because it reduces accidents, costing them money, time, and resources. They are better for employees because they have a less hazardous environment, reducing their risk of workplace injury or illness. After all, no one wants to get into an accident.
When employees feel like they’re in a safe environment, they’ll be more comfortable working there and staying there for a long time. Thus, also affecting their overall productivity.
It may not look like it, but maintaining office cleanliness can do wonders for your employees and business. That said, ensure that cleanliness is part of your company’s core values. Not only will it better the lives of your employees, but it will also provide only benefits and advantages for the company and the employers.
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