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Let's give cleaners the recognition they deserve
22nd of September 2020 Article by Louise Cullen
Louise Cullen, coo at Ireland-based services provider CCS Cleaning, looks back at lockdown and the slow return to work as buildings across Europe reopen. She explains how the company is taking care of its workforce, and how vital it is for cleaning businesses to offer staff the support they need.
It's safe to say that 2020 not the year that most of us imagined as we welcomed in a new decade on New Years' Eve! The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our sense of normalcy and created widespread social and economic unrest.
As we learn to live alongside COVID-19, it's imperative to remain optimistic, united, and to look out for one another.
One of the lingering effects of the pandemic has been a collective mood of anxiety and uncertainty. When the crisis began, many of our clients' sites shut, meaning that for a lot of our cleaning team, their work stopped.
For CCS, it was crucial that our team members felt supported during this precarious time. We knew that many of our cleaning team would be worried about families, bills, and their jobs. Ensuring that our people were safe, had an income while there was no work, and had jobs to return to when the restrictions eased became our sole focus.
CCS is privileged to work across Europe. This meant our first port of call was to enter government schemes in each country we operate in to ensure that our people received the correct benefits.
Key to our response was having the management expertise in place to deal with the crisis. Our HR Teams are adept in the complexities of EU labour law, and so we were able to look after our people promptly and diligently.
It was also essential to us that our teams were kept in the loop, we kept in touch regularly with updates, newsletters, and through our social media. We also made sure that we answered any questions from our teams promptly. Communication is vital in troubling situations such as the pandemic and plays a huge role in alleviating stress and building trust.
While many of our cleaning team were unable to work during the COVID-19 restrictions, some of our outstanding front-line team members continued to work throughout the crisis. This was a challenging time for them.
For these people, we ensured they received full training and support and wore the correct PPE at all times.
It is common knowledge that rigorous cleaning and hygiene are one of the only current defences against the virus. As we all adjust to a changing world, cleaning companies can play an essential role in helping to restore trust between businesses and customers and to create safe, managed environments.
When the time came to remobilise our staff, we were delighted that over 95 per cent of them were ready and wanted to return to work. We developed an extensive training programme to ensure our people knew what to do when they were back on site, and how to keep themselves, our clients, and our communities safe.
For CCS, ensuring our clients, people, and communities feel protected, is a significant motivation for us. We understand the responsibility that has been placed upon our shoulders and recognise our role in ensuring cleanliness is maintained and risk is mitigated across the sites we clean.
We must remember that we are still living alongside the virus and be willing and ready to adapt to changing public health protocols and advise. In the meantime, as cleaning companies, we should be proud of the crucial role we play in providing reassurance to the public and helping protect the health of our communities. Here's hoping that one lasting effect of the pandemic is that cleaners finally get the recognition and praise they deserve!
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