As the coronavirus pandemic has taught us, hygiene and cleanliness are so important. As a small business owner, it’s important to take extra care and consideration during these tough times, not only to protect your employees but to give yourself peace of mind and ensure that your staff remains healthy at all times. Below, we’ve put together some handy tips for keeping your office space ship-shape and shiny – let us know what you think in the comments below.
Say no to food
One of the simplest changes you can make as a small business owner to protect your staff from harm is to ban food at their desks. It’s so tempting to eat your sandwich whilst you catch up on emails or watch a couple of YouTube videos, but it guarantees a messy and dirty workspace, with crumbs in the keyboard and the risk of liquids on devices. Ask the staff to take their lunch break outside or create a dedicated hub where they can relax and eat food.
Wipe, wipe, wipe it down
Maintaining a clean and healthy working environment helps to reduce the spread of germs which can lead to illness and disease. From the common cold to COVID-19, killing bacteria at the source is important. Invest in a good multi-purpose cleaner and wipe down surfaces every couple of days – better yet, hire a facilities management company who can provide a cleaning service, saving your staff time and ensuring your business remains fully compliant.
Give people personal responsibility
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Your staff should take personal responsibility for the areas in which they work and use. We aren’t saying that you need to give everyone a pair of gloves and a mop, but asking staff to keep on top of their rubbish and office space will ensure your premises always looks its best. If you’re struggling to get them to take it seriously, perform random spot checks – if someone has left their workspace messy or dirty, be sure to call them out; use them as an example.
Take out the trash
Make sure rubbish bins are emptied every evening – even if they’ve only got a banana peel inside. Review your current bin situation and decide whether you have too many or too few bins in your office. Ideally, your staff should use one central bin which can be maintained and emptied every day, rather than having their own bin where rubbish can fester and pollute the air. Recycling should be a priority, with staff encouraged to dispose of their waste properly.
Don’t forget about communal areas
Finally, make sure you’re reviewing communal areas on a daily basis, too. As well as offices and desks, look at your reception area, entranceway, and staff toilets. If you’re not able to hire a cleaner right now, give staff a rota and ask them to each take it in turns to clean the toilets and reception space. The more pride they have in their workplace, the better they’ll perform. After all – first impressions count, especially if you sometimes welcome guests.
Do you have any other tips? Let us know and check back to the blog regularly for more.