Top 7 Bad Workplace Habits

Unhealthy Workplace Habits Introduce Harmful Germs into Your Workspace

At Mayfair Building Services, we’re experts on clean and we specialize in keeping office spaces and retail spaces at their best. From floor to ceiling, we’ll have your workspace looking and feeling clean and fresh. That said, there are some steps that you and your co-workers can take to ensure that your workplace is a healthy space for everyone. 

Bad Habits in the Workplace Can Impact the Health and Safety of Yourself and Your Colleagues

1. Eating at your desk

Experts agree that mindful eating is important for our physical and mental well-being. Not only is skipping your lunch break and wolfing down your sandwich a recipe for indigestion, keyboards are notorious crumb-catchers. Eating at your desk can leave all sorts of debris behind, result in spills and the introduction of bacteria. For meal and snack breaks, give yourself a real break and stretch your legs while you enjoy your food outside of the office. If you need to eat at your desk once in a while, be sure to wipe up all crumbs with a clean, dry microfibre cloth and then sanitize with a clean, damp microfibre cloth. At the end of the day, give it another once-over to be sure there are no “leftovers”.

2. Keeping old food in the communal fridge

Someone is always going to be stuck cleaning out the staff fridge. Maybe it’s the temp, or the intern, or maybe you have a rotating chores list for staff. Forgotten sour cream from the Mexican take out down the street, the half-eaten salad from last week, or even Tina’s tuna sandwich that got shoved to the back of the fridge… these things do not age well. Food that’s past its prime can very easily introduce germs and bacteria into the staff fridge. Not only does it look and smell horrible, but it can contaminate the kitchen, making you sick. Encourage everyone to remove their leftovers and food containers at the end of every workday. Make a rule that the fridge must be emptied out at the end of every week, except for the communal coffee creamer or condiments.

3. Not washing hands after using the bathroom

Not washing your hands after using the washroom can mean that everything you touch afterwards can become contaminated with germs, particularly e-coli. Experts now believe that not washing your hands after using the toilet can be more unhealthy than eating raw meat! So, do yourself and everyone else a favour and always wash your hands with soap and water after you go. Wash between your fingers, your wrists, tops of hands and under your fingernails as well and use a clean paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door to keep your hands squeaky clean.

4. Not using disinfectants between cleanings

Depending on the schedule you’ve chosen for your janitorial service, you may need to do some DIY disinfecting between cleanings. High touch areas should be given a quick wipe down at the end of the day, or during shift changes. These areas include doorknobs, faucets, light switches, the staff coffee maker, microwave handle and anything else that is frequently touched and used.

5. Going to work while sick

It’s tempting to try to tough it out and not have to use a valuable sick day, but by going to work while ill, you increase the chances of a longer recovery period for yourself. When we’re sick, we feel run down and tired because our body is asking for rest to be able to fight the cold or flu you’re struggling against. Not only that, but chances are good that you’ll spread the illness to your coworkers or boss! No one wants to be exposed to germs at work, so if you’re under the weather, fight the urge to soldier on. Stay home and enjoy your rest.

6. Grooming at your desk

Not only is it strange, but it’s also unhygienic. Filing nails, clipping toenails, brushing hair, doing your makeup, etc… at your desk looks unprofessional. Even if you’re in a rush, your best bet is to practice your grooming routines in the privacy of your own home or the staff bathroom.  Especially if you have a shared workspace, you really won’t want your hair and makeup brushes to touch the desk surface and then touch your face or hands. Also, anything with a scent should generally be left at home. That goes for nail polishes and colognes/perfumes since the scents and ingredients can affect others with sensitivities and allergies.

7. Letting your trash pile up

Your cold-brew cup and straw, snack wrappers, used tissues, and other paraphernalia can quickly fill up a small wastebasket and recycling bin. It’s easy to let it pile up and take it out when it’s full, but for best results, you’ll want to clear out your personal waste at the end of every workday. Insect and vermin love crumbs left from lunch, or those dregs of your 11 am coffee. The last thing you want to deal with while checking the daily reports is an army of sugar ants on the carpet or a pesky housefly buzzing around. Keeping your bins emptied will also reduce the risk of accidentally tipping them over and spreading bacteria and germs that quickly attach themselves to waste. The less garbage at your desk, the better.

Dirty workplaces impact productivity and employee health and morale. When you’re looking for commercial cleaning services for your business, you can trust Mayfair Building Services. Our trained and certified cleaning crew is bonded and insured and specializes in a wide variety of cleaning techniques. 

We also offer eco-friendly cleaning solutions to get and keep your workplace at peak cleanliness, without the use of any harmful chemicals and cleaning products. Whether you need the occasional carpet cleaning or require a frequent and thorough clean, contact us at Mayfair Building Services to discuss your needs with our knowledgeable staff today!