A series of recent polls suggest U.S. workers' expectations of and attitudes towards facility cleanliness and safety have changed dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Worker Attitudes Regarding Workplace Health and Hygiene
Data collected from a series of recent polls demonstrate that U.S. office workers, even those who are considered fully vaccinated, are more concerned now with workplace safety and hygiene than before the pandemic.
Office workers expect their employers to:
- Clean the office better and more often;
- Enforce individual hygiene requirements, and;
- Ensure everyone knows what is happening and what behaviors are expected of occupants.
According to one survey of more than 500 U.S. office workers:
- 88% of respondents said they plan to remain “extra cautious” of potential infections, even after getting vaccinated.
- 80% said they would be more cautious in restaurants.
- 81% said they would be warier in stores.
- 77% said they planned to remain on high alert for germs in public transportation hubs and airports.
- 74% cited concerns with gas stations and their workplace.
- 72% mentioned hotels.
- 71% said gyms were on their watchlist.
- 64% said they were still concerned with potential infections in schools.
- 62% stated they are still extra diligent in the homes of friends, and;
- 56% said they still weren't fully relaxed regarding the potential for infection in their own home.
Additional health and safety data reported in the survey found that:
- 80% of respondents are concerned about COVID-19 variants or other pathogens emerging again.
- 94% stated they expected businesses to still focus on cleaning and hygiene even after most of the population was vaccinated.
- 93% expect high levels of confidence from building owners and managers regarding workplace hygiene and safety protocols.
- 75% said that even after getting fully vaccinated, they would ask to work from home if their employer wasn't taking workplace sanitation seriously.
- 66% stated they wanted their workplace cleaned daily.
- 94% said daily workplace cleaning and disinfection protocols should be the standard going forward regardless of flu season or other outbreak conditions.
- 88% said they evaluate the cleanliness of the businesses they shop at.
- 81% said they favored official health inspections of public facilities for cleanliness and hygiene accompanied by stamps of approval.
- 86% stated they wanted to see proof the schools they attended and the businesses they worked at or shopped in were cleaned regularly.
Regular Visible Cleaning Efforts
Two of the most commonly cited criteria listed by survey respondents around the globe regarding Post-COVID workplace health and safety requirements were:
- High-outcome daily cleaning and disinfection methods, and;
- Visibly clean workplaces.
According to a study conducted by The Cleaning Coalition of America:
- 89.9% of respondents considered workplace cleaning vital to feelings of safety and workplace wellness.
- 77.2% want their workplace cleaned daily.
- 47.1% cited regular disinfecting is the most important step toward ensuring employee safety.
- But, more than 40% believe returning to the workplace poses a threat to their health and safety.
Further, according to one survey of several hundred U.K. office workers:
- 82% of respondents felt more aware of how cleaning was performed since the pandemic.
- 91% said they were more aware of cleaning measures in public spaces.
- 75% said that visible evidence of facility cleaning would help them feel more confident that COVID-19 protection measures were being enforced.
However, a troubling trend is emerging to address the increased expectations of cleanliness.
- 73% of respondents who work out of the home said they had taken on increased cleaning responsibilities in the workplace.
- More than 50% said they were expected to clean and sanitize their own workspace.
- 25% said they were expected to clean and disinfect shared workspaces, and;
- 17% said they had been asked to sanitize areas of the facility accessible by the public.
References & Resources
- Survey Finds Americans’ Expectations of Cleanliness Have Changed
- Cleaning Coalition of America Launches Survey Results Regarding Cleanliness in the Workplace
- Survey finds more cleaning awareness since COVID-19
Takeaway
The demand for high-quality cleaning and disinfection efforts in public facilities has never been higher.
However, the effort put forth by many organizations appears to fall well below workforce expectations, likely resulting in poor production outcomes and potentially a migration of skilled labor away from the company.
Additionally, a combination of factors appears to have motivated some organizations to require high-level cleaning tasks in publicly accessible spaces from the regular office staff, which is both potentially dangerous and ill-advised.
Only trained professionals should handle, apply, and dispose of commercial cleaning and disinfection products to avoid damaging the built environment and causing physical harm to themselves and others.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding highly in-demand cleaning and disinfection services and experience for a fraction of the price 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 on-site assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
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