Every office needs to have a clean work environment. It is the responsibility of all employees, including executives, managers, and frontline workers, to make an effort to keep the workplace organized, clean, and tidy.
Office cleanliness etiquette represents a set of rules and regulations for employees. An office cleanliness policy outlines how a workspace should look and how your team can maintain its tidiness.
Glimpse through the following criteria to maintain a cleanliness policy at your office:
Declare Office Cleanliness Rules
Firstly, you need to acquaint your employees with the importance of cleanliness in the workplace. You may convey a set of cleaning rules to your employees. These can be posted in the common area, lunchroom, or any other office space to access them easily. Some of the common cleanliness rules are:
- Maintain a tidy and organized workspace.
- Declutter your work area and common space If you find them disordered.
- Make sure the electrical wiring and cords are bundled up properly.
- Things like boxes, bags, and other stuff should not block the hallways, fire exits, or doorways.
- Throw the food wrappers in suitable bins.
- At the end of the day, take out the unconsumed food and similar stuff from the office fridge.
- Whenever possible, recycle things and make use of the compost bins as instructed by the municipality.
It is recommended that you make your employees aware of the cleanliness policy right from their job. For instance, you can include these cleanliness rules in the training and onboarding guides. This way, the newly hired employees will have a clarity of the cleanliness etiquette expected of them.
Memo to staff about office cleanliness
Below you can see office cleanliness memo examples (office cleanliness policy sample) :
Prioritize Cleanliness
Though it is good to have a definite cleanliness policy on paper, it is equally important to regularly implement the related rules. In other words, you need to put the policy into practice by way of ‘leading by example.’ You must keep your own workspace clean and motivate others to do the same. At times, you can assist or guide your employees in following the rules.
For example, when you are having lunch alongside your employees, you may offer to pick their food wrappers from the table while you will throw your own into the bin. Similarly, you may wipe your table and nearby counters once everyone is done with their lunch. You can also offer to assist a colleague when he/she is drying the dishes. This behavior shows your employees that you are willing to help maintain a clean work environment and follow the policy’s rules. Hence, the employees are inspired to emulate the same.
See office etiquette guide video:
Value the Cleaners’ Space and Time
If you have recruited professional cleaners to look after your office’s hygiene, ensure that you and your team respect their schedule. The cleaning agencies’ employees usually visit the office premises at a particular hour daily. It would help if you took care that they are allowed the required space to accomplish their work.
Generally, these cleaners look after the following tasks:
- Cleaning washrooms
- Mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming
- Dusting the work arena and major equipment
- Wiping the compartments of the refrigerator
- Recycling and clearing the garbage
- Sanitizing frequent points of contact like switches and doorknobs.
Sometimes, the office employees may have to put aside their things from the desks to let the cleaners fulfill their duties. The employees may also be encouraged to take their leftover food from the refrigerator to make it easier for the cleaners to wipe their compartments.
Cleanliness is a Continuous Process
Maintaining the hygiene of your office is not a one-time task. If you wish to keep your office clean and organized, you will need regular contributions from your employees regarding their workspace habits and etiquette.
Apart from having a cleanliness policy, it is good to incorporate cleanliness as a discussion point in business meetings. Meetings provide an appropriate chance to evaluate if the cleanliness policy is being implemented well or not. Besides, you can also reinforce the importance of cleanliness in these interactions.