Need-to-Know Stats About Workplace Hygiene & Cleaning

Posted on June 8, 2017

Everyone knows that part of running a workplace is keeping that workplace clean. But not everybody realizes how big an impact commercial cleaning can have on a business environment. At JAN-PRO®, over 25 years of commercial cleaning industry experience have taught us the value of workplace cleaning — and the numbers back us up. Below, we’ve collected key stats about workplace hygiene and cleaning that every business owner should know when they’re choosing a cleaning provider.

The Cost of Sick Employees

  • Sick days, worker compensation, and other costs linked to workplace illness cost American businesses $576 billion every single year.
  • 40% of workers report that they went into work while sick in 2016, increasing the risk of bacterial or viral transfer from employee to employee.
  • Employees who work through cold/flu symptoms report a 3% to 8% reduction in performance.
  • Workers suffering from dust exposure suffer a 2% to 6% decline in their cognitive abilities, as measured in typing, logical, reasoning, memory, arithmetic, and creative thinking skills.

Germs in the Workplace

  • Sink faucet handles are considered the dirtiest place in the average workspace, with 229,000 germs per square inch.
  • Phones are typically the most contaminated gadget in the office, with over 25,000 germs per square inch.
  • The average desk is covered in 21,000 germs per square inch, which works out to over 1,000,000 germs on a typical desk — 10 times more than the average kitchen table.
  • Even though the average desk is covered in germs, 62% of office workers choose to eat lunch at their desks.
  • 50% of office workers also snack at their desks and 27% eat breakfast at their work station.
  • Despite the high germ count on the average desk, only 20% of workers clean their workspace before eating on it.

The Importance of Commercial Cleaning

  • Proper commercial cleaning reduces the risk of workers catching the common cold and flu at work by a full 80%.
  • Workplaces with quality commercial cleaning vendors report 46% fewer sick days each year.
  • Commercial cleaning can increase productivity as much as 2% to 8%, while improving worker health and satisfaction.

The JAN-PRO Difference

  • Our HEPA-filter vacuums trap airborne microbes as small as 0.4 microns in diameter.
  • JAN-PRO cleaners serve 40,000 customers worldwide with one of the highest customer retention rates in the commercial cleaning business.

Bring the JAN-PRO difference to your business today. Call 866-355-1064 today for a free commercial and office cleaning consultation.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2012/09/12/u-s-workforce-illness-costs-576b-annually-from-sick-days-to-workers-compensation/#569d92ed5db0

https://www.statista.com/topics/3275/workplace-health-and-wellness-in-the-us/

https://www.payscale.com/career-news/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/10/a6a00d8341bf85853ef017d3ca10437970c-pi.gif

https://www.issa.com/member-benefits/value-of-clean/value-of-clean-infographic/value-of-clean-infographic-full.html

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20120523/the-6-dirtiest-work-places

http://www.health.state.mn.us/handhygiene/why/handsfaucet.pdf