Why work washrooms matter more than you think

Everyone who works away from home needs access to a clean and pleasant washroom. Poor washroom provision can lead to a surprising number of complaints – which shows that employees care very much about the state of the toilets, says Lee Radzki from Tork manufacturer Essity.

Office workers are more likely to complain about washrooms than any other aspect of their workplace. Gripes about the toilets account for more than 45 per cent of office building complaints, according to a recent Statista study.

A second survey carried out in 2022 revealed that 86 per cent of office employees regard cleanliness as the most important aspect of a good working environment, while 85 per cent believe the state of the washrooms reflects the cleanliness of the building overall.

Facility managers can reduce staff complaints and create a happier workspace by ensuring that the toilets are clean and efficiently run at all times. However, this can be a real challenge in today’s tough climate.

Supply chain issues, labour shortages, sustainability legislation and a high staff turnover are making an already difficult job even harder. Facility managers are only able to spend around 18 per cent of their time improving cleaning performance and quality. Yet they name cleaning quality as their number one priority.

Smart cleaning solutions

Essity has launched the Tork Office Hygiene Package^TM in a bid to help businesses improve staff satisfaction in the workplace. This can be achieved by introducing smart hygiene solutions across the entire facility.

For example, Tork high-capacity dispensers ensure that refills are always readily available while the units are also easy to use and quick to refill, helping the cleaning staff to work more efficiently.

The Tork SmartOne® toilet tissue system helps to avoid run-outs because the paper is delivered one sheet at a time, reducing consumption by up to 40 per cent².

Tork Foam Soaps are supplied in a long-lasting cartridge that serves up to 1,650 visitors per refill, while the unit requires a particularly low push-force which makes accessing the soap both quick and easy.

And the Tork PeakServe® Continuous^TM Hand Towel Dispenser provides a long-lasting supply because the unit caters for more than 1,000 guests between refills. It requires a low pull force to use and can be topped up at any time for ease of maintenance.

Incorporated in the Tork Office Hygiene Package is Tork Vision Cleaning which is designed to take the guesswork out of cleaning operations.  Using real-time data from people-counters and connected dispensers, Tork Vision Cleaning indicates to facility managers when extra cleaning might be required or when a washroom dispenser might need to be refilled. This reduces the number of dispenser checks required by up to 91 per cent while also ensuring that all dispensers are kept topped up 99 per cent of the time.

Enhancing hygiene knowledge

Also part of the package is the Office Complaints Minimiser™, a new gamified digital challenge for facility managers. This allows FMs to test their knowledge against industry data and learn about hygiene and cleaning solutions in a bid to reduce complaints and save time.

And helping to keep the office environment smelling fresh is the new Tork Constant Air Freshener, a propellant-free aircare system that neutralises odours continuously and evenly. The dispenser can be mounted at a reachable height for cleaners, unlike many systems that need to be placed high on the wall in order to be effective. This means refills can be easily integrated into normal cleaning routines, while the product is third-party certified as being easy to use for speedier refilling.

It is vital to keep the workplace washrooms both clean and hygienic to keep members staff happy. But employees also want their washrooms to be sustainable.

A recent study carried out by Essity revealed that eight out of ten office employees would prefer to have a more environmentally-friendly workplace.

The Tork survey – carried out among 2,000 office workers – also revealed that 58 per cent of people will go out of their way to separate waste in the office. And 51 per cent said they had considered trying to implement sustainable practices in the office themselves.

Two thirds of respondents said they were likely to select a new employer based on the sustainable reputation and actions of the company in question. And one in seven had considered leaving a job due to a lack of “green” practices in the workplace.

Offices can demonstrate their environmental credentials by signing up to Tork PaperCircle®, the world’s first hand towel recycling service. Tork PaperCircle 

reduces total environmental footprint for hand towels by 40 per cent3  compared with current waste-handling options.

Used towels are collected from customers’ premises and taken to local recycling centres where they are turned into other tissue products. Signs on the back of toilet cubicle doors introduce them to the concept and explain how hand towels are recycled. And visitors are directed to use the recycling bins via clear signage, while the bin for disposing of general refuse is marked with a contrasting sign.

Good staff members are difficult to attract and retain these days, so it is important that office managers do whatever it takes to keep their employees happy and motivated. Since the washroom is an important aspect of everyone’s working day it makes good sense to ensure that these facilities are clean, comfortable and sustainable spaces of which office workers can be proud.

This is a sponsored article brought to you by Essity. 

To learn more about the Tork Office Hygiene Package^TM and how their smart hygiene solutions can improve staff satisfaction in the workplace visit: www.tork.co.uk/officehygiene