Back to blog 01/04/2022

Return-to-Work Expectations – Why Your Employees should be Satisfied with Office Cleaning and Maintenance Standards

Contributed by Jessica Williamson, Regional Sales Executive

Owing to the health and safety concerns, the initial days of returning to work were stressful for most office workers. As a result, many businesses swiftly adjusted to the ‘new normal’ and adopted measures to adhere to essential SOPs that allowed most employees to work closely with co-workers at their workplace without fear and apprehension. A large number of employees are concerned about the health and safety SOPs at their workplace, along with the “need to” feel safe and comfortable with the cleaning and maintenance practices at their workplace.

Employee expectations associated with the cleanliness and upkeep of offices have expanded beyond the pre-pandemic standards; and the issue has become imperative for employers to accommodate these demands with a professionally run cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing program. On the contrary, businesses that do not recognize the significance of outsourcing their cleaning and facilities maintenance requirements to a reputable service provider are likely to struggle to keep their staff happy and comfortable at work. Some of the business impacts of this casual approach toward cleaning and facilities maintenance will risk suffering the consequences. Below are a few pain points companies may feel if they do not change their practices.

• Employee productivity will decline when they will work with stress and fear around their colleagues
• Some employees may opt to file lawsuits against insufficient cleaning and safety practices at their workplace, making them vulnerable to contracting viruses and infections
• Employee turnover could increase when the employer fails to keep up with their expectations of cleaner and safer work environments
• Some employees may demand returning to working from home as the office environment is not maintained in accordance to post-pandemic guidelines
• High-risk or interpreted “high-risk” employees may demand to work from home if they perceive the in-office environment could pose a threat to their health
• Business also pose a risk of government and state fines for non-compliance

Diversified Maintenance has realized these risk and re-designed our training program to ensure that all on-ground employees proactively address the risks of coronavirus and related infections. In part, customizable facilities maintenance programs that are designed to support employee expectations. Diversified Maintenance focuses on implementing specialized cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing protocols with intensified frequencies that meet the response of the new health and safety requirements. To learn more about our commitment to support all our customers in achieving their goals and maintain a clean, safe, and healthy work environment, send me a note at: Jessica Williamson jwilliamson@DiversifiedM.com.