33% of employees admitting they do not wash their hands every time they use workplace toilets is why Whywait Plumbing ensures toilet basins are correctly installed and maintained
Construction sites, workshops, factories, offices, restaurants in fact any Gold Coast workplace is a breeding grounds for germs with the majority of businesses not making workplace hygiene the priority it needs to be. Recent research indicates poor workplace hygiene is costing business Australia wide up to $800 million in lost wages each year and the Gold Coast is not exempt with:
- 33% of employees admitting they do not wash their hands every time they use workplace toilets
- 5% of employees worry about other employees not washing their hands when using workplace toilets
- 70% of employees genuinely believed poor workplace hygiene affected their overall job satisfaction.
- 40% of employees fearing poor workplace hygiene will cause them to get sick
- 50% of employees believe concerns about workplace hygiene affected their productivity
- 75% of employees believe poor workplace hygiene indicates their employer “doesn’t care about them”
- 55% of employees are dissatisfied with their workplace toilets
- 55% of employees criticised their employer for not providing a clear vision and clarity of expectation for the expected level of hygiene that all employees should meet
- 56% of employees are distracted from work due to concerns regarding the hygiene behaviour of other employees
- 57% of employees believe their personal productivity is reduced because of time spent talking to other employees about their company’s hygiene standards
- 72% of employees are reluctant to recommend a business with poor workplace hygiene
- 54% of employees indicated they had to spent time cleaning up after other employees in workplace kitchen and toilet facilities
Most frightening with all of the issues surrounding workplace, health and safety, (W,H&S) is that the research survey showed up that the hygiene habits of Australian workers are appallingly low with one in six employees falling ill from poor workplace hygiene and the poor cleanliness of lunchrooms and staff toilets. For employers the statistics are even more frightening with:
- 4.8 employee sick days annually
- productivity losses of $800 million in wages for employers
Whywait Plumbing found this workplace urinal with no flushing water and full of odour blocking tablets to mask the smells that were overpowering with employees only using the toilet as a last resort
The plumbing technicians at Whywait Plumbing are frequently shocked at the condition of workplace toilet facilities that they are asked to repair with many businesses failing to maintain their employee workplace toilet facilities operationally with the most common faults being:
- toilets not flushing correct amounts of water leading to blockages
- urinals not being maintained correctly
- basin taps not working
- hot water turned off or disconnected
- cracked porcelain basins, toilets and urinals
All too frequently these workplace toilet facilities are also poorly maintained in regards to cleaning hygiene with the most common issues being:
- no soap dispensors
- no paper towel dispensors
- broken toilet roll holders
- cracked wall and floor tiles
All of the above issues create an ideal breeding ground for germs leading to cross contamination within the workplace. No matter which way you look at it poor workplace hygiene reflects poorly on any business.
Business owners and managers need to take the lead in the workplaces issued by outlining the expected hygiene standards for workplace kitchen and toilet facilities. It is well proven that a business with a good company culture that has a clear vision and clarity of expectation with regard to workplace hygiene ensures that the expected level of hygiene are complied with by employees.
By Gary Mays
