9 Most Unhygienic Workplace Habits

Everyone knows that a dirty workplace can be a breeding ground for all kind of nasty bugs. But do you know what causes these germs to fester and travel around your business?

Just how unhygienic are Britain’s workplaces?

A recent survey conducted by a global hygiene company, SCA, examined 1000 U.K workers and their attitudes towards hygiene in the workplace. The results revealed that nearly two-thirds of Brits wished their place of work was cleaner and more hygienic, with only one-quarter of workers rating it as very hygienic.

Despite this, and quite shockingly, only 16% of employers provide training and education regarding workplace hygiene.

Worryingly, as a result of bad hygiene in the workplace one-third of survey respondents reported experiencing diarrhoea, 15 per cent have been on the receiving end of a bout of food poisoning and one in ten have even contracted a skin condition at work.

Whilst all workplaces should endeavour to meet high standards of cleaning by hiring a quality commercial cleaning service, education could prove useful, as more than one in ten respondents said they believed their health has been compromised by poor workplace hygiene standards.

One in ten workers said that they’ve been forced to take time off of work because of poor hygiene standards, costing their employers time, money and resources. In fact, 40 per cent of survey respondents reported taking up to a week of sick leave within the last month as a result of subpar workplace hygiene practices.

Survey facts:

• 40% have taken up to a week off sick during the last month

• 33% experienced diarrhoea

• 15% experienced food poisoning

• 10% contracted a skin condition at work

The extent of the issue doesn’t stop there – nearly half of the workers affected by hygiene related illnesses have passed it on to a family member or friend.

The survey delved deeper to discover some of the worst culprits for poor hygiene. Two-thirds of women aspire to a cleaner workplace, compared to only half of men.

It turns out that Women care so much about hygiene at work that they would be willing to change jobs if the hygiene of their workplace wasn’t up to scratch – only 5% of men would.

But the most disturbing fact of the survey was that almost half of the workers caught some kind of illness or sickness bug due to their colleagues bad hygiene habits.

So, what are the most unhygienic workplace habits?

• Sneezing without using a tissue – 42%

• Leaving dirty dishes around the communal area – 36%

• Not washing their hands after using the bathroom – 36%

• Not flushing the loo – 33%

• Cluttered desks covered in rubbish – 23%

• Not emptying full bins – 18%

• Eating at a their desk – 14%

• People not disposing of sanitary protection products properly – 13%

• Biting their ails – 12%

Are your employees demonstrating poor hygiene habits? Is your workplace lacking the TLC it needs to fend off harmful bacteria? Can your business afford for employees to get sick and take time off work?

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