Office staff want to stay healthy at work this New Year as research shows workers worry about germs.
As we head back to work in the New Year, office staff want to stay healthy but nearly three-quarters are concerned about the presence of germs in their workplace, according to an independent poll commissioned by Kimberly-Clark Professional. In the survey, which was conducted by Cogent Research among 303 office workers from across England, 21 percent said they were “greatly concerned” by germs at work, with 51 percent stating they were “somewhat concerned”. Meanwhile, 57 percent said they were worried about the transfer of germs from work to home. Suzanne Halley, End-user Marketing Manager – UK at Kimberly-Clark Professional, said: “Office workers are right to be concerned about hygiene at work all year round. Invisible bacteria in the workplace can cause colds, flu and upset stomachs.
Though they are minor, these are unpleasant illnesses that force people to take time off, and staff absence costs UK businesses nearly £30 billion annually. However, simple steps such as installing sanitisers around an office, and making sanitising wipes widely available, can make a big difference to wellbeing.” She continued: “A healthy workforce is a happy and productive workforce. Particularly at this time of year, in the middle of the cold and flu season companies that take pro-active measures to keep their staff free of illness will be rewarded in the longer term. Indeed, 61 percent of those questioned in our survey said they’d like hand sanitisers to be more readily available around the workplace.” Implementing measures to keep people healthy at work isn’t difficult. The strategic positioning and distribution of sanitisers, both non-alcohol and alcohol varieties, is one of the most effective tools to keeping people healthy.