It is a fact that people spend most of their time in their office than at home. It does not matter if you are an employee or a business owner, the statement stands true for all positions. Thus, it is essential to promote good hygiene at the workplace to reduce the transmission of germs and people eventually falling sick as this has a direct impact on their individual productivity as well as the overall business productivity. Annie Luong believes this starts with promoting hand hygiene, and we cannot agree more.
Annie Luong is the CEO of Bubbly Suds, an up and running brand of personal hygiene products. Bubbly Suds is a family-owned business that was launched recently with the aim of eradicating the shortage of personal hygiene products – particularly good quality, affordable hand sanitizers – caused by COVID-19. The brand aims to provide “genuine, high quality, and affordable hygiene supplies” to its target audience, with a special focus on hand sanitizer gels and sprays.
According to Annie, one of the simplest ways to ensure better hygiene and overall health of employees in a workplace is by encouraging the frequent use of hand soaps and sanitizers. “It is simple: our hands come in contact with multiple surfaces during the day, which means we come into contact with several types of germs and pathogens that can cause serious diseases and illnesses,” Annie says. She further added that these germs can be easily transmitted to another employee through a harmless handshake, which is quite common in workplaces.
The Relationship Between Hygiene and Productivity
On the surface, employees getting sick may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can cause huge losses for businesses – especially small ones that have only a handful of employees managing everything. This is primarily due to the nature of the jobs of today. The division of labour is quite prevalent in today’s world, which ultimately leads to disruptions in workflow even if one employee is missing for a few days. As a result, the whole business suffers.
In contrast, employees who practise good hygiene tend to get sick less often and take lesser offs from work. They also tend to be more efficient and productive, as they usually have no health issues bothering them. Several studies have indicated that frequent handwashing significantly reduces the number of employees who get sick from flu, diarrhoea, and other common diseases. This results in fewer sick leaves and increased productivity.
Encouraging Good Hand Hygiene At A Workplace
Good hygiene is a habit that anyone can develop. Annie believes there are a number of ways you can encourage employees to practice good hand hygiene at the workplace, including the following:
- Placing reminders all over the office about the importance of frequent handwashing and sanitization.
- Ensuring the availability of adequate supplies, including hand soaps in washrooms and hand sanitizers on desks and in meetings
- Conducting small seminars about the importance of good hygiene (particularly hand hygiene)
These are just some ways you can encourage employees to practice good hygiene, but remember that it all starts from you. Employees are bound to follow a leader’s steps; thus, it is imperative that you set a good example for your subordinates to follow. Even if you are not in a higher position, you can still encourage your colleagues by doing the same. Remember, something as small as keeping your hands clean can help you save your life and others’ as well.