We are likely all guilty of having a moan about the state of the staff kitchen, the staff room, meeting rooms etc at work. In fact, a study showed that 44% of workers said cleaning up mess left by others was the most annoying behaviour in company break rooms.
As we know, a tidy workplace is a more productive workplace, and this doesn’t just mean your desk, or working area, it also extends to the communal areas. Finding a mess is likely to make employees feel frustrated, annoyed and discouraged to work to their full potential.
So here are a few ideas to help…
Set Expectations
Create a list of guidelines for employees to follow for the communal areas of the workplace. Even if they sound obvious, or nit-picking, list them down so everyone knows what is expected.
For example:
- Place all food waste in the kitchen bin
- Wipe down surfaces/microwave after use
- Do not leave dirty dishes/mugs in the sink – clean, dry and put away after use
- Clear all glasses/mugs from meeting rooms
Inform Employees
For communal areas such as the kitchen, signs on the wall are the best way to state the guidelines. Ensure they are written in a polite but direct manner and ensure the signs are pointed out to any new employees.
For areas such as meeting rooms, which may also be used by customers, signs aren’t going to give the right impression, so let employees know the cleanliness expectations during staff meetings or via group emails.
It may be that a reminder is required every now and then!
Assign Responsibilities
Depending on the type of employees you have, you may have someone very eager to have the power to tell people to wash their dirty mugs! Or you might find everyone hiding under their desks at the thought of having such a role!
All you need is one person who doesn’t mind giving the odd gentle reminder if the guidelines aren’t being followed!
Reward Cleanliness!
Hopefully employees will see the benefits of working in a cleaner workplace and follow the guidelines without incentive. However, if you’d like to give them that little bit of extra motivation, why not treat them every now and then?
Anything from some fancy biscuits to a new coffee machine can motivate employees to go the extra mile to keep their workplace clean.
Hire the Professionals!
You might have guessed this was the last bit of advice….coming from a commercial cleaning company!
We know that most businesses don’t have time to clean thoroughly themselves, especially when you are focusing on your customers and your business.
Whilst you may not wants us to be there every day, washing up your plates and mugs, we can arrange to visit your premises at an agreed frequency, to suit your business, to take care of your cleaning needs.
Any remember, a clean workplace is not just clean…it’s healthy and more productive!
If you’d like a chat about how we may be able to help your workplace, call us on 0116 277 7644 or email enquiries@pcsclean.co.uk.