Roughly half of the U.S. population has received at least one vaccination, and more than 41% are fully vaccinated, marking the real beginning for the long march back to pre-pandemic work environments--a prospect that is creating a great deal of stress for many workers.
Worker Requirements for In-Office Return Post-COVID-19
Several studies have attempted to ascertain the feelings of US office workers confronted with the increasingly likely reality that their employer will soon require them to return to the office for, at least, a few days per week.
The statistics vary widely--from a reportedly high number of workers that have stated they will quit if they are not allowed to continue working remotely;
A whopping 58% of workers say they would “absolutely” look for a new job if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely in their current position, new data finds.
According to FlexJobs, which surveyed more than 2,100 people who have been working remotely during the pandemic, 31% aren’t sure what they would do and only 11% say not being able to continue working remotely is not a big deal to them.
Requiring employees to return to the office? Get ready for them to quit
Conversely, a similarly timed survey conducted by Eden Workplace found that the vast majority of office workers were looking forward to a return to the workplace to socialize with fellow employees, get out of the house, and have access to better equipment.
85% of office workers are looking forward to returning to the office.
The survey reveals more than half (52%) of office workers report socializing with colleagues as their top reason for wanting to return to the office.
Other missed benefits by employees included having access to proper work equipment (44%) and getting out of the home (44%).
Additional results from the survey found that, while workers were more than willing to return to the office, at least part-time, many expected their employer to enforce extra safety precautions, including:
- 66% want social distancing of at least 6 feet for in-person meetings.
- 71% expect access to free hand sanitizer.
- 61% expect free company-provided masks, and
- 59% expect their workplace to enforce social distancing.
However, that position conflicts with the desires of workers who spent most or all of the pandemic working from the office as usual--46% of whom do not want their employer to enforce any COVID restrictions.
That is likely to increase tension and anxiety in the workplace, potentially costing the US economy approximately $1T per year in productivity losses.
Anxiety is known to decrease work performance, reduce job satisfaction, and negatively affect interpersonal relationships with colleagues, among other ills.
For the global economy, the loss of productivity because of poor mental health—including anxiety—might be as high as $1 trillion per year.
Fortunately, there is a way to decrease office worker anxiety while improving mental health and wellness without enforcing overly strict regulations and guidelines.
Cleaning to Meet Occupant Demand
Meeting worker demand for a safer workplace is actually quite simple.
- Create a plan that includes increased rates of enhanced cleaning and disinfection, and;
- Communicate that plan to your workers and other facility occupants.
According to the results of a survey conducted by Stratus Building Solutions:
- 94% said even when most people are vaccinated, they expect businesses to place a special emphasis on cleaning and sanitizing.
- 93% said they expect workplaces to be confident about cleaning and sanitizing when they return to work.
- 75% reported that even when vaccinated, they would consider asking to work from home if they felt their workplace was not taking disinfection seriously.
- 66% expect their workplace to be cleaned every day.
- 94% said cleaning and disinfecting should be a standard and a priority for businesses moving forward regardless of current events or flu season.
- 88% said they find themselves evaluating the cleanliness of businesses they frequent.
- 81% said they would be in favor of a “COVID-19 safety inspection” involving health officials inspecting businesses and schools for hygiene and giving stamps of approval, and;
- 86% said they would like to see proof that a workplace, business, restaurant, gym, or school is cleaned and sanitized regularly.
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References & Resources
Takeaway
The return to the physical workplace will be a long and difficult road for many organizations who, despite clear data routinely disseminated across the internet, have yet to formulate a plan to protect facility occupants that have been clearly communicated to those it impacts.
That failure will likely result in a loss of major labor talent to competitors and a significant reduction in productivity and profits.
While the option for social distancing and other safeguards will likely remain for some time, the obvious path forward is to clean everything--well and often--then communicate those efforts to facility occupants, going so far as to submit the facility and those efforts up for third party inspection.
A proven method for attaining the highest standards of facility cleanliness and safety is outsourcing your building's janitorial services to a provider with the tools and experience necessary to rapidly onboard highly in-demand services at a fraction of the cost of maintaining a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
