ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Offices need to implement new proactive hygiene solutions in line with changing trends, according to hygiene solutions provider Essity.

This will help employees take more personal control over workplace hygiene, claims the company in its White Paper.

The document, which uses data from the global Essity Hygiene & Health Report 2018- 2019 plus insights from the Tork Office Trend Report, reveals that 73 per cent of UK offices are now open plan.

"While open concept offices have several advantages in a collaborative environment, they require a higher level of maintenance plus a hygiene strategy adapted for a flexible office," said Essity's Stuart Hands. "It is becoming increasingly evident that cleanliness and hygiene in the workplace are vital factors for productivity today."

Open-plan offices lead to a greater degree of socialising plus a higher level of sharing of both facilities and technology, he said.

"This means that office workers face more hygiene risks than ever before," said Stuart. "At the same time many people - particularly younger generations - are becoming more health-conscious which means that ensuring a clean and safe work environment becomes more important than ever when recruiting new talent."

A global survey conducted by Essity last year revealed 22 per cent of employees say they often refrain from using the toilets at work, with the figure rising to 30 per cent among younger people. The most common reasons for this relate to unhygienic or messy washrooms.

The study also revealed that around 40 per cent of people globally say they often worry about becoming ill due to poor hygiene.

"Employers seeking to attract and retain millennials should be aware that young people are much more concerned about poor hygiene than the older workforce," said Stuart. "In fact 50 per cent of people aged 16-25 said they often worried about hygiene, while that figure was only 21 per cent among people aged 61 and over."

The Tork White Paper is available to download - click here.