ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Hot-desking in the office "makes no sense" in the age of coronavirus, according to a hygiene specialist.

And this claim comes in the wake of the UK government's "back to work" drive after several months spent working from home by many employees.

"If people are using a desk, they should be made aware of what has happened there before them," said research and development manager of Inivos Tautvydas Karitonas. "They should know who was using it and what cleaning measures have taken place in the meantime."

He claims that hot-desking - a practice whereby desk spaces are interchangeable and may be used by any worker - will "ruin" the ability of employers to track the spread of coronavirus.

"People need to be more self-aware and should be asking questions to ensure that hygiene is kept to a good level," he said. "If there is an issue, the whole premises will need to be deep-cleaned - and that is obviously something most companies want to avoid."

Hygiene and cleaning firm Inivos works with health authorities to prevent the spread of infections in workplaces. The company has seen a huge surge in demand for deep cleaning and infection control services over recent months, according to Karitonas.

Current UK government guidance on making workplaces Covid-19 secure advises against hot-desking - but the practice has not actually been outlawed. According to the Business Department's Working Safely during Coronavirus document the use of hot desks and spaces should be avoided. But where this is not possible each shared desk space should be cleaned and sanitised between occupants.