the hidden cost of an unwell workplace
protecting a high-value workforce during a pandemic
A Prudent IT Service Provider
Situation
The Christchurch office of a global IT consultant wanted to do the right thing by their team upon their return to work following the city’s first covid lockdown.
Their office house 26 employees and the company wanted to minimise the chance of an infection outbreak between its diverse workforce.
As a team of experienced IT developers who collaborate closely on projects and add much value to the organisation, having them absent on sick leave would create significant impact to the team and projects.
The office was large and open plan and there was a large cafeteria and one large unisex washroom. Regular office cleans were conducted twice weekly.
Action Taken
360 Hygiene calculated that the company’s washroom was being used 390 to 624 times between cleaning services and the cafeteria between 312 to 792 times. A 25 swab ATP bacterial analysis was also completed. Of these, three passed, eight were borderline and 14 surfaces were contaminated.
Hand washing practices were also found to be lacking with four people washing their hands effectively with soap and water, 16 people attempted to wash their hands effectively and four people did not wash their hands at all.
A weekly workplace hygiene programme was implemented including the sanitisation of the washrooms and fixtures (toilets and hand basins), cafeteria and touch-points (door handles, light switches etc). Nano Shield antimicrobial surface protectant was applied to all fixtures, touch-points and cafeteria surfaces. This kills 99.99% of germs, viruses and bacteria upon contact and provides continuous protection for up to 14 days.
- Cotton cloth hand towels were replaced with paper hand towels to lessen the risk of cross-contamination.
- Hand sanitiser dispensers were installed at various points throughout the office and cafeteria.
- Implemented ongoing hygiene audits every four months and certification to track and maintain hygiene gains made.
Result
The office became a far cleaner and more hygienic space and employees felt more assured about returning to the workplace.
The true cost of sick leave to the company was also calculated in terms of hidden losses says Aaron Scott of 360 Hygiene.
“With high-value employees, the value of the work they do for the company is not necessarily what you pay them,” he says, “so if an employee is worth $150 an hour to the business and your rate of sick leave is high it could easily add another $200,000 to the true cost of sick leave per annum. It’s vital businesses understand these ripple effects and implement effective measures to ensure everyone’s health and well-being”
A weekly workplace hygiene programme was implemented including the sanitisation of the washrooms and fixtures (toilets and hand basins), cafeteria and touch-points (door handles, light switches etc).
Learn about more workplaces who have had the 360 treatment
