Workplaces have evolved over the course of the pandemic. For some, what once was a daily commute to the office has shifted to hybrid and flexible work schedules. Over the past year, workers have been returning to their offices more frequently. Recently, Kastle Systems data passed 50% office occupancy in the U.S. for the first time since the pandemic began.
This increase in shared spaces gives germs a greater opportunity to circulate through a workplace. So, it's essential that employers promote hand and surface hygiene best practices as part of their employee wellness program. We know that getting sick hurts employee performance and productivity, plus it may give reluctant workers another reason to stay away from the office.
People want to feel that their employer cares
The general public has learned a lot about how illness spreads over the past three years, and now they expect visible cues that cleanliness is a priority when entering any establishment or facility. When employees are in the office, they want to feel safe and to know that their employer cares about their health. Employers can show that by:
- Providing trusted hand and surface hygiene products, which sends a clear signal that your business prioritizes employee well-being and facility cleanliness, plus it gives workers an extra boost of confidence.
- Ensuring maintenance staff are trained on daily cleaning and disinfecting procedures and what to do if there is an illness outbreak, such as the flu or COVID-19.
Hot desks and office hoteling spaces
The increase in hybrid working has led to more hot desking (multiple workers sharing a workstation during different time periods) and hoteling (scheduling use of a workspace). With employees working closely together and sharing workspaces, eating areas, and restrooms, employees need to keep up good hand and surface hygiene behaviors to reduce the risk of spreading infectious germs. Businesses must maintain a clean workplace and provide easy access to quality hygiene products and supplies.
- Disinfect high-touch surfaces during peak traffic periods when the burden of microbes is highest and so employees can see that you prioritize a clean facility.
- Place low-toxicity disinfectant wipes or spray near shared workspaces so employees can disinfect their own space before and/or after use, and place hand sanitizer bottles at shared spaces to encourage frequent hand hygiene. (Looking to avoid harsh chemicals? Check the label to make sure there are NO precautionary statements like "Caution," "Warning," "causes eye irritation," or instructions to "wash hands thoroughly after use," or that it requires the use of gloves during use.)
- Hand sanitizer dispensers with effective alcohol-based hand sanitizers are critical in shared common areas like conference rooms, breakrooms, cafeterias, and high-traffic areas like lobbies, outside elevators, and restrooms.
- Place hand sanitizer bottles on desks to encourage more efficient (less time away from the desk vs. handwashing) and more frequent hand hygiene.
- Soap dispensers should be installed in every bathroom and kitchen area.
- Finally, don't forget simple training and/or signage to educate on when (key moments) and how (technique) to use hygiene products – this is proven to improve hygiene and decrease risk.
Avoid "bulk" soap and hand sanitizer
End users are increasingly focused on cost in an effort to combat inflation. Sometimes, this has led to installing "bulk" style or open refillable hand hygiene solutions (using a large bottle to refill a hand soap or sanitizer dispenser reservoir). Some businesses turned to this style during the pandemic when that was all they could find. But the science and evidence are published and strong that this dangerous practice presents significant risks to public health and safety.
- Product mixing is a critical problem since these dispensers are typically attached to office walls for years and are commonly topped off with whatever product is on hand when it goes empty. So, you don't know what product you're getting or if you mixed incompatible products.
- The reservoirs (where the product is poured into) are intentionally designed to be easy to open and refill, but this open style can introduce impurities or contaminants from the environment, thereby impacting the product's efficacy, or can even introduce illness-causing germs.
- In bulk alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers specifically, the open-style reservoir can lead to alcohol evaporation, decreasing the product's effectiveness (alcohol is the active ingredient and the FDA and CDC caution that 60% concentration is the minimum).
- Maintaining these bulk systems is also labor intensive as they must be regularly removed from the wall and thoroughly cleaned to prevent bacteria and mold from growing inside the reservoir (where the product sits and at the pump where it moves to the user's hand).
- An added layer of complexity in trying to use hand sanitizer in this bulk format is that hand sanitizer is always an FDA-regulated over-the-counter product in the U.S. (and is regulated in many other countries), so it has numerous requirements that must be met, including that it’s illegal to “top off” hand sanitizer with anything other than the brand intended for that package. (Read the Manufacturer’s Guidance for PURELL® Hand Sanitizer Products for more information.)
Read our other blogs focused on this topic: “Study Shows Potential Health Risks Associated with Refilling Dispensers and Using Inferior Products” and “Understanding the Risks Associated with Hand Sanitizer Refilling.”
Support the well-being of your employees
Viruses and other pathogens circulate through a community, from home to work to the grocery store and gym and back home and back to work – and on and on. It is important to offer safe and truly effective hygiene products by trusted brands to help fight germs and help employees feel comfortable in the office. After all, it takes only one sick employee in the office to potentially create an illness outbreak.
For information on The PURELL SOLUTION™ for offices, please visit https://www.gojo.com/en/Markets/Offices-Workplace/Office-Building-Management
Worry-free and effective solutions are available:
The PURELL® brand is known for a portfolio of hand hygiene and surface sanitization formulations designed to provide effective protection from germs without compromise. We have a full portfolio of eco-certified products, including hand sanitizers and B2B soaps that have the prestigious Cradle to Cradle Certification®.
- PURELL® Brand HEALTHY SOAP® with CLEAN RELEASE® Technology was designed specifically for dry or sensitive skin. The remarkably mild foam hand soap removes 99% of dirt and germs without harsh preservatives, antibacterials,* parabens, and phthalates. 1,2 https://www.gojo.com/en/Product-Catalog/Hand-Soap/CRT-Soaps
- PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer kills 99.99% of most common germs that can cause illness and outperforms other sanitizers ounce for ounce. https://www.gojo.com/en/Product-Catalog/Hand-Sanitizer Place America’s #1 hand sanitizer3 brand where guests and staff need it most with convenient touch-free stands (ask your GOJO distributor how you can receive no charge stands. For more information on our innovative dispensers, read "Energy-on-the-Refill: A Touch-Free Solution with Labor and Waste in Mind.")
- PURELL® Surface Sanitizers, Disinfectants, and Wipes are EPA-registered, safe for most hard surfaces (spray is also safe on soft surfaces), and quickly kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including norovirus (spray kills in 30 seconds), the flu virus (spray kills in 30 seconds), and human coronavirus (spray kills COVID-19 in 10 seconds). They earned the EPA's lowest allowable toxicity rating (Category IV), so they don't contain harsh chemicals or fumes and don't require gloves, handwashing, or rinsing after use – even on food-contact surfaces. PURELL® surface sprays are certified for the EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) as part of the EPA's Safer Choice program. https://www.gojo.com/en/Product-Catalog/PURELL-Surface
- PURELL® Employee Care Kit: Whether your employees are remote, transitioning back to the office, or traveling for work, these kits can help show them that their wellness is still your number one priority. Each kit includes a personalized note to let them know that you're thinking of them, 12 oz PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer with the PURELL PLACES™ Light-up Bottle Dock, 2 fl oz Portable Flip-Cap Bottle of PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer, PURELL® Cottony Soft Hand Sanitizing Wipes, PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer Personal Packets, and 8 oz sample of PURELL® Surface Sanitizer.
Interested businesses should contact their GOJO distributor, click here to schedule a meeting with our representatives, or find a distributor now.