19 CHTMAG.COM STAFF TURNOVER FEATURE Staff turnover is a massive concern for all businesses, though everyone knows it is more prevalent in some sectors than others. Over the past few years the spotlight has shone down on worker satisfaction brighter than ever, the impact of the recession, Richard Branson’s attitude to ties and holidays, George Osborne’s latest budget have all brought staff happiness to the forefront of public consciousness, but cleaning remains one area where turnover remains incredibly high. CHT asks what can be done to address this problem, without simply throwing more money at it Throughout history whenever your CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY OCTOBER 2015 workforce seems disgruntled, the simplest solution has been to give them more money. Whether they were soldiers in some ancient army or doctors in the latest high tech hospital. However this is seldom enough. Research conducted by XpertHR Benchmarking in 2012 showed that the average annual turnover across the UK workforce was 10.6 per cent. There are an ocean of statistics for the cleaning industry, but the general consensus seems to be that the cleaning industry sees 70 per cent of staff leave each year. Obviously this is a massive hindrance, as new staff have to be trained up and integrated into the company. Not to mention the wasted time and resources training those staff who have left. But why are cleaning staff so desperate to escape? Is it the low pay? The public perception of the role, despite how invaluable it is? The lack of opportunities to turn a job into a long term career? Or something more? There are countless studies that show just how essential a clean and tidy office is to the productivity of staff, and therefore the business as a whole. Staff morale and pride in their surroundings can have a massive impact on the success of a firm. So how can managers try and redress the imbalance in their cleaning staff turnover? But why are cleaning staff so desperate to escape?” The nature of the work, and the contracts on offer, frequently mean that sick pay, holiday pay, pension schemes and similar are never offered to cleaners. This may not be financially viable, but also may be a question of conscience for the employer. Either way, it will undoubtedly impact on the cleaners themselves, who will look for a career where these perks (necessities?) are on offer. PART OF THE TEAM There are two parts to making sure that a cleaning operative feels part of an organisation. All too often you hear complaints from cleaners who feel that they work for the team, rather than being part off the team. If the former is the case then of course that will lead to unsatisfied workers and poorer results. The later will instill a sense of pride which will improve standards. Cleaners should also feel as if there is the possibility of advancement for them. Whoever you are and whatever sphere you work in, you will definitely want to know that in 10, 20 or 30 years time you won’t be doing exactly the same thing you are doing today. Cleaning staff need to be shown that they have a career path, not just a stop gap role. Obviously paying cleaning operatives extortionate salaries is a no go. The impact on the budget and morale of other staff could end up being horrendous. Excessive and frequent bonuses set a dangerous precedent and the novelty would likely soon wear off. Besides money is not necessarily a cure for these problems, how much would you need to be paid to do a job where you felt undervalued and unappreciated? WORKING CONDITIONS You could argue that the main goal of cleaners is to make the working environment more pleasant for the rest of the workforce. Therefore shouldn’t it be seen that the cleaners themselves work in decent conditions? It is difficult to see what could be done about the unsociable hours cleaners are obliged to work. They also have the benefit of generally working in dry, warm places. But plenty of operatives complain that there is no food or water supplied to them during their shifts, or that they are asked to work in unhygienic areas (such as washrooms) without the protection of face masks or similar. the general consensus seems to be that the cleaning industry sees 70 per cent of staff leave each year” “
Cleaning Hygiene Today October 2015
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