Office and facility managers face a lot of responsibilities, most of which have to do with profitability and meeting sales objectives. Making sure that the office space is clean and orderly usually isn’t high on their to-do list. However, many would probably move it higher up on that list if they understood how much organization and a clean workspace has to do with helping a business run smoothly. Not only does it give your business a professional, successful look (an important factor among clients), it can also help boost productivity as well as employee morale. Giving your office a good spring cleaning and keeping it clean can have a definite impact on your bottom line.
Be sure that your office spring cleaning includes decluttering and organizing all of those accumulated papers and duplicate office supplies, which take up space and hamper efforts to maintain effective and reliable storage space. A cluttered office is likely to encourage the accumulation of further clutter.
Improved Productivity
A well-organized workplace helps employees do their work accurately and productively. Being able to locate files and correspondence is conducive to an effective office. Your staff’s production will be higher if they aren’t distracted by having to search for important objects they need to do their jobs. A clean office also prevents allergens and germs from making employees ill and causing them to lose work time. Those employees who try to work while sick experience a significant drop in productivity — as much as 50 percent, according to some workplace surveys.
Employee Attendance
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American businesses lose more than 17 million work days each year due to the flu alone. Maintaining a clean work environment helps reduce the number of sick days your workers need to take, which improves staff productivity and your company’s profitability. A dusty workspace means poor indoor air quality, which aggravates respiratory problems and allergies and increases the likelihood that people will catch colds, the flu, and other viruses. A good office spring cleaning produces clean and sterile desks, conference tables, and other work surfaces.
Workplace Injuries
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, there are more than 9 million emergency room visits a year because of slips, trips, and falls. A clean, well-ordered workplace helps prevent injuries by ensuring everything is kept in its place and no loose items are left lying around. Consequently, there are fewer worker compensation and health insurance claims. It also helps prevent equipment breakage.
Inventories
Inaccurate supply inventories can lead to financial inefficiencies and over-ordering on office supplies. Easy and ready accessibility to your company’s inventory keeps employees working efficiently and safely. You’ll also save time on redoing inventory counts. A clean office facility is one in which product and supplies are well-organized and easy to find.
Record Storage
Careful organization makes it easier to find old financial records and tax documentation, the ones you may need to locate on short notice. Maintaining an efficient and organized storage system prevents erroneous recordkeeping and makes your organization more responsive when clients and vendors have accounting questions.
Organization-Friendly Items
Once you’ve given your office space a good cleaning, utilize tools that’ll help keep things nice and orderly. Binders are commonplace but effective ways to organize loose papers, disks, and external hard drives. Consider putting small filing cabinets and office chairs on wheels and casters for a more flexible and efficient work space, and remember that public-facing areas can give off the wrong impression if they’re unorganized. If there isn’t enough storage space at the front desk, which gets a lot of foot traffic, it may be time to upgrade to a larger reception desk.
Spring cleaning your office is as important as cleaning your home if you hope to maintain a productive work environment. Consider instituting a system in which employees clean as they go to help keep everything tidy and looking professional. It’ll be good for your business and help everyone stay healthy and happy.
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