Employers are often all too aware of hidden workplace costs brought on by employee sick days. When employees call out, work is stalled, temporary staffing must be found, and things fall behind. But what about when employees are there, while not really being there at all? According to Uprise Health, a national behavioral health and employee assistance provider, CDC research estimates that absenteeism, the physical absence of employees in the workplace, costs employers $225 billionannually, while presenteeism, employees who are at work but not fully productive, costs an additional $150 billion.
Professional commercial cleaning services play a critical role in reducing workplace illness, improving employee productivity, and lowering the hidden costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism. Businesses throughout Exton, West Chester, Downingtown, Malvern, and the greater Chester County area face these same hidden costs every day. Whether it’s a medical office, corporate headquarters, school, or industrial facility, maintaining a clean workplace is no longer just about appearance. It plays a direct role in employee health, productivity, and overall business performance.
The Problem
Absenteeism is the more infamous of these two killers, but it is hardly the more deadly one. In fact, because presenteeism is less visible, its effects can often go undiagnosed and become even more harmful. R3 Facilities Management, a commercial facilities management company, explains that while absenteeism is certainly harmful, as it can cause multiple absences over a short period of time, presenteeism can often be even more damaging because it accelerates transmission, causes more absences, and prolongs disruptions. Both of these dangers lead to a number of problems including decreased productivity, increased errors, and even long-term health consequences for employees (Uprise Health).
Unfortunately, the symptoms don’t stop there. Physical, as well as mental, absences will reduce output, place additional pressure on healthy employees, and lead to fatigue, lower morale, and exponentially increase the likelihood of further absences. Employers then have to invest in things like overtime, temporary staffing, and additional time reorganizing workloads (R3 Facilities Management).
The Solution
So, the question is, how can modern workplace environments avoid these silent killers? Fortunately, they share a preventable leading cause. Poor cleaning practices in the office environment directly contribute to these detrimental and avoidable effects on productivity. Offices, especially medical facilities, healthcare settings, and schools, contain countless high-touch surfaces that can harbor bacteria and viruses responsible for common illnesses (R3 Facilities Management).
Transcend Facility Services takes a proactive approach by focusing on high-touch surfaces, including door handles, elevator buttons, shared desks, keyboards, break room appliances, conference tables, light switches, and restroom fixtures, which are touched dozens, if not hundreds, of times throughout the workday. Without consistent commercial cleaning and disinfection, these surfaces become an easy pathway for bacteria and viruses to spread from one employee to another.
Transcend also reduces risks through structured cleaning schedules, routine disinfection of high-touch surfaces, proper restroom sanitation, floor maintenance, waste removal, and the use of EPA-approved disinfectants. Rather than simply improving appearances, our services help reduce the spread of illness, create healthier work environments, and support uninterrupted business operations. It is essential in today’s workplace to prioritize consistent professional commercial cleaning and routine disinfection of all areas, and especially touchpoints, to reduce the dangers posed by both absenteeism and presenteeism.
Getting Ahead
Choosing a commercial cleaning partner is about far more than finding someone to empty trash cans and clean restrooms. It is the foundation of your workplace environment and it is essential to your business’s productivity. The Human Capital Hub, a professional HR and workplace management publication, explains that dedicating funds to an appropriate cleaning solution will sustain the physical and mental well-being of your personnel, it will increase overall health, and ultimately, it will boost your company’s productivity. By reducing the spread of illness and creating a healthier work environment, businesses can spend less time managing disruptions and more time focusing on growth.
REFERENCES:
Uprise Health. The Hidden Costs of Absenteeism and Presenteeism. National behavioral health and employee assistance provider.
R3 Facilities Management. How Workplace Cleaning Reduces Absenteeism and Presenteeism. Commercial facilities management company.
Human Capital Hub. The Importance of Workplace Cleanliness for Employee Productivity. Professional HR and workplace management publication.
