The Value of Clean: The Cost of Absenteeism
Improve Your Bottom Line Where You Haven’t Looked Before
Sick days and casual absences account for 80% of lost days for most businesses* and are a significant cost, not only for business, but the Canadian economy as a whole; to the tune of $16.6 billion a year**. There are costs associated with lost productivity, project delays, reduced customer satisfaction and reduced employee morale. The bottom line is sick days are costing your business money.
Most employers have a clearly defined attendance policy with a specified and limited number of sick days permitted, but there is more you can do to protect your company from the loss of revenue caused by the reduced productivity of absenteeism. It is fair to assume the majority of sick days are taken because people have contracted a virus such as a flu or cold. Accepting this assumption, the most effective way to reduce absenteeism is to reduce the spread of these viruses in the first place. How do we do that? The answer is simple: hygiene and cleaning. The most effective way to reduce and eliminate the spread of colds and flus is to wash your hands regularly and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
According to the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association), the governing body for cleaning and janitorial standards, daily cleaning reduces the probability of catching a cold or flu by 80% and reduce absenteeism by 46% (illustrated here). Based on the figures from Stats Canada, regular cleaning and disinfecting could potentially save Canadian businesses $7.6 billion a year.
So, if you want to improve your bottom line invest in a quality janitorial and cleaning program for your business. It will save you more than sick days; it will save you money.
To learn more about how cleanliness can improve your bottom line, come back next week for the third instalment in ‘The Value of Clean Series’, Illness Caused Performance Reduction.
**The Conference Board of Canada, September 2013