If your boss has decided that hot-desking is the way forward in the workplace, they might need to prepare themselves for a rise in sickness levels! A new survey has found 71% of office workers believe their dirty workspace is making them ill and hot desking is a major culprit for spreading bugs throughout the office. Whatís more, 80% admitted that they share theyíre workstations, including computer and phone with at least one other colleague ñ a sure way of spreading those germs.
The study was commissioned by Durable UK for the launch of Computer Cleaning Week, 17-22 September 2007 and revealed that:
- More than two thirds of workers feel theyíre exposed to all sorts of germs at work and 67% say theyíve been off sick in the last year
- 36% of these have been absent for more than four days.
- 90% of those questioned revealed they use their computers every day, for between 30 and 40 hours a week at work and a further ten hours at home.
Is it any wonder that these areas have become major hotspots for bacteria and germs?
And managers take note - whilst 82% of us feel we would work harder in a cleaner office, an astonishing 71% of us think that bad desk hygiene can cause us to take more sickies.
This year the campaign is fronted by famous TV cleanliness expert Kim Woodburn, who says: ìThe survey revealed that both men and women don't seem to care about sneezing or coughing without covering their mouths. Picking spots, wiping noses with hands, scratching heads and touching hair are other habits that spread germs. It's astounding the number of people who go the toilet and then don't wash their hands, or retrieve things from the bin ñ again without cleaning their hands.î
She continued: ìDesks can be filthy things and any item resting upon them harbours untold amounts of grime and bacteria. If you're going to put your dirty hands on keyboards and sneeze while you're on the phone, there's no doubt that you'll expose your equipment to all sorts of unpleasant organisms, so it is time we tackled this problem head on and eliminate these germs, before we all get ill!î
The survey went on to reveal that just 70% of offices have a cleaner ñ meaning over 30% are responsible for ensuring they keep their own office clean. Of those who did have a cleaner, itís believed that only 3% of office cleaners actually have the right tools for the job when it comes to cleaning between the keys, leaving us susceptible to a huge range of bugs and viruses ñ from e-coli to salmonella.
Other ghastly statistics revealed by the survey show us that:
The computer keyboard is the dirtiest item in the office environment ñ only 17% describe their keyboards as clean.
90% of us eat at our desks - lunch and snacks are the most popular feasts.
Most people wait well over two weeks for dirt to build up around their desks before they take action.
Stewart Anderson, VP of Marketing at Durable UK comments: ìPeople should never under-estimate the impact that microscopic germs can have on any workplace. Our research shows that there is a real cause for concern about desktop hygiene and its damaging consequences.î
He continued: ìWe are launching Computer Cleaning Week for the second year running. We aim to raise awareness and hope to change peoplesí attitude towards workplace hygiene and to get them cleaning more thoroughly and more frequently.î
Deskusting! ñ The UK workplace at war with germs
If your boss has decided that hot-desking is the way forward in the workplace, they might need to prepare themselves for a rise in sickness levels!
