Office Cleanliness Weighs on the Minds of American Workers

While many are in vacation-mode right now, US workers are slowly returning to their offices and more are ramping up for a return to their desks come September. Many share a common concern about how clean their workplace will be when they arrive, according to new poll from health and hygiene company Essity. 
 
Essity’s survey revealed that while 84% of Americans intend to continue the enhanced hygiene practices they adopted during the pandemic—think more frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer— employees question whether their workplace will maintain cleanliness protocols. In the survey, with 65% of employed Americans who went into an office prior to COVID-19 expressed concern about the cleanliness and hygiene of the space before going back to the office. 
 
Moreover, as 59% of employed Americans who worked in an office prior to COVID-19 have at least some concern about being around coworkers, they also have heightened expectations of their employers when it comes to hygiene protocols in the office, and would like to see employers and building operators provide resources such as hand sanitization stations (58%), more frequent cleaning and sanitizing (58%), hands-free restroom fixtures (48%) and higher capacity paper towel dispensers in common areas and in bathrooms (35%).
 
“As the world continues to open up and people resume interacting and living life in a more regular way, the role of hygiene will certainly remain more top-of-mind in the workplace and other public spaces than it was in the past, and this prioritized mindset comes across clearly in the research,” said Amy Bellcourt, vice president communications, professional hygiene, Essity North America
 
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of employed Americans who went into an office prior to COVID-19 are/were concerned about the cleanliness and hygiene of the office upon their return.
 
According to the survey, the overwhelming majority of American adults still believe increased cleaning and sanitizing are important in public places, such as doctors' offices/health care facilities (90%), restaurants (89%), hotels (88%), theaters (88%), fitness centers (87%), retail stores (86%), and entertainment facilities (stadiums/museums) (86%).
 
But it's more than just having a place to wash your hands, according to Essity. The majority of employed Americans who went into an office prior to COVID-19 (89%) would like to see cleaning/hygiene measures implemented at their office as a result of COVID-19:

• Hand sanitizer stations (58%)
• Increased cleaning and sanitizing (58%)
• Hands-free restroom fixtures (48%)
• Increased communication and signage on safety and cleanliness protocols (44%)
• Higher capacity paper towel dispensers in common areas and in bathrooms (35%)
 
And, there’s the human factor, too. Old habits can be changed as those who have already returned to the office are noticing some new coworker behaviors:

• Using hand sanitizer more often 57%
• Washing hands more often 53%
• Shaking hands less 51%
• Sanitizing hands after coughing or sneezing 41%
• Washing hands after coughing or sneezing 37%
• Washing or sanitizing hands after touching public surfaces 36%
• Washing hands for a longer duration 35%
• Wearing gloves to touch public surfaces 34%
• Drying hands with a towel/paper towel vs. air drying 31%
• Using objects to touch public surfaces (e.g., on elevators, to open doors, utilize keypads) 30%

As usage remains high, hand sanitizer formulations will need to offer efficacy and better aesthetics.
 
The “Return to Workplace” survey was conducted online within the US by The Harris Poll on behalf of Essity, from May 5-7, 2021 among 700 men and women 18 years of age and older who worked in an office setting prior to the pandemic.