Business Technology

So you’ve noticed that your employees have been taking many sick days. You’ve chalked it up to the seasons, allergies, and perhaps even a bug that has been making its way around the office. But have you ever considered that these scenarios might not actually be causes at all - rather, it’s your office that’s making your employees ill? Sounds a bit strange, but the typical office acts as a breeding ground for germs that cause everything from the common cold to the flu - and as any business owner knows, this means a decrease in productivity and employee morale!

In fact, a swab test carried out in a Manhattan office by Dr. Charles Gerba, found “hundreds of thousands of bacteria on hot spots like a printer button and the button for the first floor in the elevator, touched by hundreds of fingers each day. Even though none of the bacteria Gerba found was life-threatening, they could lead to more colds and flu.” So what should you do to combat the nasty germs that can literally be found anywhere in an office? Hire a professional cleaning service!

A quality professional cleaning company is one of the most effective methods for battling dirt and germs that can often prey on the health of your employees. A good cleaning company can sterilize everything from keyboards, printers, filing cabinets - even those pesky elevator buttons! And let’s face it - when it comes to the health of your employees, it’s absolutely worth the investment.

Often, small business owners who don’t hire professional cleaning services usually leave office cleaning to their employees, in hopes of saving a few extra dollars. But when it comes down to it, these business owners aren’t actually saving any money - in fact, they can steadily lose profits, as employee sick days place a strain on both the finances and productivity of a company. For example, in 2007 alone, sick days cost the British economy 100 billion pounds, with the average person taking up to 7 sick days a year. It’s not just the British economy that’s suffering: in almost every country, most of the illnesses that keep the average worker at home are in fact due to germs found in the typical workplace.

Still not convinced that a professional office cleaning company is the right option for your business? Here’s a few more health facts that will make you reconsider:

1) The average desk is home to 400 times more germs than the toilet. Want proof? In a recent scientific study, Experts counted more than 49 microbes per square inch on toilet seats, 69 microbes per square inch on photocopiers, 1,676 microbes per square inch on mice, 3,295 per square inch on keyboards and 25,127 microbes per square inch on telephones. And the typical office worker is exposed to these incredible levels of germs for eight hours every day!

2) In another swab test carried out by Dr. Gerba , it was found that “among the bacteria was coli form — intestinal bacteria generally found in human waste — on the restroom handles and faucets, in the kitchen sink and sponge, and even in (the) candy basket.” Makes you think twice about reaching for that lollipop!

3) According to John Boothby, a professor of biological sciences at San Jose State University, “sneezes and coughs produce particles that once evaporated will turn into a dried residue called, droplet nuclei. This residue, which can last in the air for hours, may then transfer infection through the respiratory tract.” Just think of this fact every time an employee sneezes, and you’ll be on your way to hiring a commercial cleaning company in no time!

It makes perfect sense that there are more reasons than not to hire office cleaning services; after all, when it comes to the protection of your employees’ health - not to mention that of your own - a commercial cleaning company can offer your office the kind of protection that you can feel comfortable about. Besides, no one wants to touch elevator buttons that are covered with germs or eat candy that could be covered in waste residue - so call your local professional cleaning company today!

Tags: small business
Filed under: small business