RCP publishes Changing Workplaces report into the impact of Covid on business

21st of October 2021
RCP publishes Changing Workplaces report into the impact of Covid on business

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) has published its ‘Changing Workplaces’ report into the complex changes the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred in workplaces and facilities across Europe.

The company developed the research program, it says, to help organisations take control and succeed in an environment where standards and expectations are higher than ever before.

The survey asked people how their facility had evolved its approach to hand hygiene, cleaning, waste and recycling since the end of 2019, before the pandemic hit. Questions posed included: what changes are here to stay, how have facility users’ demands changed and where do organisations need to raise the bar around cleaning and hygiene in a post Covid-19 world?

Major impact

Over 300 businesses from throughout Europe participated - ranging from cleaning contractors and facility management firms to educational establishments, logistics and manufacturing. Two-thirds employ between 50 and 250 or more people and many were from multinational organisations.

The majority (95 per cent) of respondents agreed the pandemic has had an impact on their business activities, with 51 per cent citing the impact as major. Ninety-three per cent agreed that visibility of hygiene and cleaning measures influences facility users’ perceptions of their brand or facility, while 78 per cent of respondents increased provision of hand sanitising facilities during that period. Almost 50 per cent of those people believe this will be a permanent change. And for half of participants, the pandemic caused challenges in managing more waste streams due to more disposable products being used.

The Changing Workplaces report outlines key learnings from the survey, shining a light on key issues of the future says RCP, which span increased expectations from facility users, and the need for durable, quality solutions, thanks to the impact on brand of visibility and approach to hygiene, cleaning and waste management.

Future planning

Paul Jakeway, head of marketing for EMEA at RCP, said: “We’re delighted to
have had such as strong response to the Changing Workplaces survey from businesses across Europe and would like to thank everyone who took time to take the survey for making a valuable contribution to their industry.

“Business owners accounted for 31 per cent of respondents, with 52 per cent classing themselves as management or senior management, and 13 per cent as board level executives, which shows a strong appetite for business leaders to arm themselves with knowledge that will help their organisations to take control in this changing world.

‘’The insights we have gleaned will feed RCP’s innovation and enable us to continue developing cleaning, waste and recycling solutions that are both relevant and dependable in the future.”

The full report can be downloaded here.

 

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