Hot-desking is a practice in an office of allocating desks to workers when they are required or on a rotating system, rather than giving each worker their own desk. Over the past decade, hot-desking has reshaped the way we think of office space. In that time, more and more workplaces have switched to a hot-desking set-up or added coworking areas. This has led to a range of benefits for workers and employers alike. But if you talk to office cleaning service providers, hot-desking has a less-than-spotless reputation.
Now that wireless technologies have untethered workers from their cubicles, fewer workers need a dedicated workspace. By switching to a hot-desking set-up, businesses can use office space more efficiently and cost-effectively. Hot-desking is also known for boosting innovation, collaboration, and team relationships.
Unfortunately, hot-desking is hiding a dirty secret. As any office cleaning service provider will tell you, shared workspaces are a gift to bacteria and viruses. Hot-desking areas are not only dirtier than dedicated workspaces, but also provide bacteria with the perfect launchpad for infecting your workforce.
Office Hygiene Not So Hot in Shared Workspaces
For those of us in the office cleaning service industry, hot-desking comes with two big concerns. First, shared workspaces attract a higher rate of germs. Second, hot-desking areas expose workers to a wider range of contagions. In both cases, workers are at higher risk of suffering a bacterial or viral infection.
Let’s start by examining bacteria counts. The average desk is already a haven for bacteria. Office keyboards, to give one example, have been measured as having more than 65 times as many bacteria per square inch as the typical toilet seat.
As unsettling as that number may be, bacteria are even more widespread in hot-desk settings. One study conducted in the UK found that bacteria counts were 18% higher in hot-desking areas compared to dedicated work stations. Other researchers have found that workers are less likely to clean and disinfect shared work areas compared to their own, personal workstations.
This is concerning enough on its own. But it becomes even more concerning when you consider the exposure risks associated with hot-desking.
Let’s say an employee has the flu and the virus gets onto their desk. In a dedicated desk scenario, nobody else is using this work station, so nobody else gets exposed to the virus. In a hot-desking scenario, the next employee to use this work station could touch a contaminated area and get sick.
In light of this information, it’s clear that hot-desking comes with hygiene concerns. But that doesn’t mean that offices should abandon hot-desking. A qualified office cleaning service provider will be able to work with you to address these concerns. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of hot-desking without worrying about the health and safety of your team.
Hot-Desking & Your Office Cleaning Service
At JAN-PRO, our customized office cleaning service plans make it easy to accommodate hygiene concerns like hot-desking. Here are a few ways that JAN-PRO® cleaners can adjust your office cleaning services for shared work areas:
- Disinfection Coverage. In a hot-desking set-up, you can’t rely on employees to clean up after themselves. With JAN-PRO, you can increase the scope of your cleaning services to suit your specific needs, including increased cleaning and disinfection services for shared work areas.
- Cleaning Frequency. The less hygienic an area is, the more often it should be cleaned or disinfected. At JAN-PRO, we provide fully customized office cleaning service plans, so we can adjust cleaning and disinfection frequency to suit the hygiene concerns of your office.
- Disinfection Equipment. JAN-PRO cleaners use an exclusive disinfection system called EnviroShield® to safely disinfect hard-to-reach areas. EnviroShield® is perfect for devices with cracks and crevices, like keyboards, computer mice, and phone sets.
- Cleaning Materials. Our office cleaning service providers use microfiber cleaning cloths to wipe down workstations. Dampened microfiber cloths have been proven to remove more than 99% of surface bacteria, making them ideal for wiping down hot-desking work surfaces.
If you’re concerned about the health and hygiene implications of hot-desking, we suggest speaking with the office cleaning service providers at your local JAN-PRO. We’ll be happy to discuss any cleaning concerns you have about your workplace, including hot-desking, and provide customized solutions.
Call JAN-PRO at 866-355-1064 to learn more about our office cleaning services and to request a FREE estimate.