Prominent Workplace Factors Affecting Everyone’s Health

The pandemic showed us so many things we never imagined in our lives. Be it the work from home culture or maintaining social distance, we learned a lot of ways to stay healthy and maintain hygiene. These measures left a strong impact on social gatherings, including the inside office atmosphere. 

For so many employees working from the office, an unhealthy work environment is highly prevalent. As a result, the employees are more likely to witness a sign of physical or mental health issues making their lives miserable in many ways. Some of the most common health issues recorded include - depression, anxiety, hypertension, diarrhea, pneumonia, and much more. And what is the reason behind it all? An unhealthy work atmosphere adds more to the health problems. All these factors not just leave a negative impact on the employees’ health but also hampers work productivity. 

But why let it all happen when there are so many ways to combat such issues and create a positive, clean and healthy work environment for the employees? 

More than focusing on the solutions, you as a business owner should look upon the factors converting your office into a wreck. It will only hamper your business productivity while making the entire environment negative for the remaining workforce. 

Factors impacting your office hygiene

1 - Pest
You may never think of those negligible pests as one of the biggest threats to your work health environment, but that’s where you made the biggest mistake. Pests like roaches, ants, spiders, etc., act as the biggest threat to workplace hygiene. Such pests are smart enough to hide in the corners and spread bacteria. The biggest issue is with roaches which spread aggressively in a huge number while spreading bacteria in almost everything kept in your office. Some of the soft targets include - desktops, CPUs, the cluster of wires, pantry area, and much more. The best solution to such issues is reliable roach pest control. This should be conducted as soon as you see a roach around you—the best time to conduct it is on the weekends, so it does not hamper seamless work anyhow. 

2 - Poor or over-burdened work structure
Work worries are one of the biggest reasons putting millions of individuals in a poor neurological state. As per a recent study conducted in 2020, more than 59% of respondents accepted that they suffer work-related stress in the United Kingdom. Additionally, 32% claimed that the complex management style and structure contribute to increased stress at work. But why let all these factors hamper your work environment and, most importantly, the peace of your resources? 

The work structure should be managed, so it does not over-burden employees while achieving the targets timely. This may require evaluating a lot of project-related factors in advance while keeping the time-bandwidth in mind. But that’s all about managing and winding up projects like professionals. 

3 - Dealing with neurological issues
There are times when an employee seeks emotional support the most. The reason can be any financial crunches or a family-related problem. Here, you, as a business owner or an integral part of the management team, should step forward to ease your uneasiness. This may require going beyond the office protocols, but that’s much better than seeing one of the progressive employees suffering from neurological disorders in the future. Family or work-related stress can result in something serious like - depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mental disturbance, insomnia, and much more. Therefore, it’s wise to share a word of concern with the employees frequently or conduct stress-releasing activities at the workplace that promote mental health.

4 - Improper hygiene measures
No one wishes to work in an office where hygiene is taken for granted, especially after witnessing the harsh pandemic times. Some of the most common hygiene negligence seen in office premises include - dirty pantry area, poorly-maintained coffee/tea machine, unhygienic cups or other dishes available in the pantry, desktops, and machines licking dirt, and much more. These are some common examples that may promote and spread health issues easily. All of these should be kept in mind while maintaining a rigid cleanliness routine. Above all, the office should be sanitized regularly to keep diseases away.

With this, let’s surf through some of the common and mandatory office hygiene aspects to keep all diseases and pets at a distance

1 - Good hand hygiene
Ensure that all your employees maintain healthy hand hygiene. It’s the easiest way of transferring bacteria while making the situation worse for everyone at the office. From instructing the consistent use of hand sanitizers to avoiding handshakes, it should include everything. If required, you can conduct some sessions to guide employees effectively. 

2 - Invest in washroom facilities
Washrooms should be well equipped with everything required to maintain proper hygiene. From sanitizers to toilet papers, the washrooms should be maintained timely. The spread of germs is common through washrooms; therefore, maintain it accordingly. 

3 - Clean door handles
Door handles are one of the most common spots spreading bacteria easily. So, go for installing antibacterial hygienic door handles that do not promote bacteria transmission anyhow. With this, you can instruct your staff to use hand sanitizers before and after using the door handles. 

4 - Eating and drinking practices in the office
Leftover food on the desktop or pantry area works as a meal to many pests. This may seem like a minor problem at first, but its impact is visible when the employees start catching viral. Therefore, instruct employees to eat, keeping hygienic measures in mind. 

The final line 
A healthy organization is one of the key factors deciding the productivity of a business. It not just questions your office hygiene but adds to the business costs only. Fortunately, there are ways to combat office hygiene measures and bring the much-required positive difference. All you need is to remain determined and focused on your goal. 

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