With many of us in the UK now returning to the office in 2022 after extended periods of remote working, it can be a daunting prospect for employees to be sharing kitchen areas, bathrooms and desks with people outside of their household.
In this post-lockdown world where there is a heightened awareness of germs and hand hygiene, as an employer it is important to provide your employees with peace of mind. Offering a clean and hygienic environment for those returning to the workplace is essential for staff retention and preventing sick days, especially now that the inevitable winter germs are lurking just around the corner.
Here are five tips to safeguard your office and protect the health of your employees during the upcoming flu season.
1. Ensure the office is cleaned regularly
Viruses can linger on workplace surfaces for 24 hours, putting your employees at risk of getting sick. If you are just reopening your office, consider re-assessing what your current cleaning provider is offering in terms of frequency and depth of clean. Make sure that high traffic areas with touch points such as door handles are disinfected daily.
2. Install hand sanitisation stations
In 2022, hand sanitisers have become the new normal and your employees will expect to see these dispensers when they return to the office. Designed for use in a range of indoor environments, hand sanitisation stations offer a convenient, 100% touch-free solution for office workers. When installed in high traffic areas, these stations will also save time on trips to the bathroom for hand washing purposes.
3. Advise employees to stay at home if they have flu symptoms
While putting safeguarding measures in place is of paramount importance, it is inevitable that some of your employees will get sick at some point. Being proactive and encouraging sick staff members to stay at home when they have symptoms is the most effective way of preventing the spread of winter germs in the office.
4. Encourage flu vaccinations
The best time to have the safe and effective flu vaccine is in the autumn before the virus starts to spread. Investing in a workplace vaccination programme or voucher scheme can help protect your business’s productivity during flu season and result in a healthier workplace this winter.
5. Upgrade your washroom supplies
Installing no-touch sanitaryware products and automatic soap dispensers can give staff a better experience while using commercial washrooms. Using built-in sensor technology, no-contact bathroom supplies are more hygienic and prevents germs being picked up from previous users and spread throughout the workplace. CIL Hygiene provide a number of innovative no-touch hand hygiene products to give your staff peace of mind during flu season.
Now more than ever, businesses need to be demonstrating that they care about hygiene and about the health of their staff and visitors during the winter months.
If you’re interesting in optimising your premises washroom facilities, contact us today.
