The cost of the unhygienic workplace
Brits believe they are getting ill due to their workplaces being dirty – costing employers £1.56bn ($1.98bn) a year, according to new research.
A survey of 1,012 UK employees by retailer AppliancesDirect found almost half (46%) believe an unhygienic working environment has contributed to making them sick.
This comes at a cost of over £15m a day for employers, based on the UK weekly median wage of £516, the company found.
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When asked why they felt their workplace has made them sick in the past, the majority (68%) of Brits said their workplace was generally unclean.
More specifically, however, two thirds (62%) blamed a colleague for bringing sickness into the workplace, while a third (34%) assigned blame to badly washed plates and mugs in the office kitchen, and 28% cited unsanitary bathrooms.
A quarter (24%) said they feel that their dirty desk is the least hygienic part of their workplace, while for 18%, it was their keyboard.
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A further 14% felt colleagues leaving out of date food in a communal fridge has contributed to making them sick, and 11% felt it was because of pets in the office.
Separate research by Appliances Direct found the kitchen is the hub of UK offices, with 72% of workers saying this is the most used social space in the office – making it concerning that half of workers believe this space has made them ill.
However, said marketing manager Mark Kelly, “It’s clear it’s not just employers who need to keep communal spaces clean. Employees need to keep their personal workspaces hygienic to avoid illness from things like keyboards and desk phones.”
The top 10 reasons Britsh adults say their workplace has made them sick:
Lack of general hygiene (68%)
Colleagues bringing in sickness (62%)
Unhygienic desk phone (48%)
Dirty office kitchen (45%)
Badly washed plates and mugs in the office kitchen (34%)
Unsanitary bathrooms (28%)
Dirty desk (24%)
Unhygienic keyboard (18%)
Colleagues leaving out of date food in a communal fridge (14%)
Office pets (11%)
