UK office cleaning company SMC Premier surveyed over 5,000 UK office workers about their hygiene habits at work.
The results revealed a disturbing statistic that only 61% of respondents wash their hands properly with warm water and soap after going to the toilet. 18% will do a quick hand wash, 14% occasionally wash their hands, and 7% admitted to not washing their hands.
Survey data also uncovered that women are more hygienic than men after using the toilet with 66% happily washing their hands after a visit to the bathroom, compared to 53% of men.
When comparing the age groups, 11% of the younger generation (18 to 24-year olds) confessed to not washing their hands after the toilet, making this statistic above the overall average of 7%.
77% of respondents shared the same thought that our beloved four-legged friend is highly unhygienic to have in the office. This statistic was significantly higher amongst the over 65’s with 85%.
2% of employees with a dog in the office have considered leaving their job to be in a dog-free environment.
Eating at your desk isn’t uncommon especially for 26% of office workers who remain at their desk to eat at least 1-3 times per week. ¼ of respondents admitted to eating and working 3-5 days per week, and 4% having no choice but to eat at their desk every day. But is 4% a high statistic? Are employees expected to work through lunches to meet work deadlines?
On average, around half of 18 to 64-year olds will move away from their desk to eat, leaving the other half to remain seated occasionally.
Despite the popularity of eating at your desk, only 11% of workers will clean theirs properly. 38% will do a ‘quick clean’ – put snack wrappers in the bin or empty the crumbs from their keyboard, while 45% are spotless eaters and never need to clean up after. However, there is still 7% of employees who are too lazy to clean and instead leave it to someone to else.
The over 65’s is cautious about making a mess after eating at their desk with 72% claiming that they don’t need to clean up, compared to just 1/3 of Millennials.
The survey exposed people’s opinions around hot-desking, and a shocking 6% of those asked were under the impression that all shared desks were cleaned after use. 12% of respondents who regularly hot desk will only work on the desk if they know it’s been cleaned first. 38% share a strong opinion that communal desks are germ-infested because you never know who’s been sat there.
When it comes to who is responsible for the cleanliness of the office, 6% revealed that it should be left to the cleaner as it’s not their problem. For 56% of respondents, they admitted to helping clean up as it would eventually annoy them, and 38% confessed that they reluctantly clean if they had to.
Have you thought about the cleanliness of your cup when drinking a brew out of it? We asked employees to share their brew making hygiene skills; 25% confessed to never cleaning the cups before making a round. However, 39% will wash the mugs properly, and 36% will do a quick rinse to avoid using a communal sponge.
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