Australian workers are bucking an international trend and returning to the office in ever greater numbers , according to new data from CBRE Australia. Cities that fared better during the first wave of the pandemic, such as Perth and Adelaide, are leading the way, but average CBD occupancy across the country rose to 76 percent in the first quarter of 2024, up from 70 percent at the end of 2023.

The picture is similar in New Zealand, where two-thirds of office workers surveyed by one real estate firm said they were keen to get back into the office for most of the working week.

This shift back to how things were pre-COVID brings fresh concerns about office hygiene, given an increased awareness about infection risks. A new survey conducted by Essity in the UK – where less than half of workers have fully returned to the office — identified that 45 percent of employees believe their office to be a “breeding ground for bacteria”.

Toilets were the main area of concern for around a third of the 2000 office workers surveyed. Almost one in five employees insisted they refused to use the toilets at work at all because of poor hygiene standards. Common complaints included soap and paper supplies running out, leaky taps and paper towels being left on the floor.

Kitchens were also seen as germ hotspots. Around 34 percent of respondents took issue with inadequately cleaned fridges and microwaves, grimy sinks and mouldy foods.

Overall, 57 percent of those surveyed said they were irritated by the state of their workplace, feeling standards had slipped since the hyper-vigilant days of the pandemic.

Satisfaction levels varied by industry. People working in business consulting and IT were among the most satisfied with the cleanliness of their workspace, while employees in the public services and administration sectors were less impressed.

Essity communications director Gareth Lucy said employers and office managers had a duty to ensure workspaces met a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene.

“It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that a workplace is a hygienic, welcoming and clean place for everyone to be,” Lucy said. 

“However, workplaces need to provide the right facilities in order to enable high standards of hygiene throughout all areas of the office. This survey demonstrates a serious drop in office cleanliness at a time when it should still be a number one priority. And employees are understandably frustrated at the conditions in which they are expected to work.”

ISSA senior director Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner said accreditation can set an important benchmark for cleaning and hygiene in office environments. In 177 countries, ISSA provides the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation for facilities that have established and sustained a high-performance cleaning and maintenance program to maintain a hygienic indoor environment. ISSA’s CIMS Advanced by GBAC provides a certification for quality-driven building service contractors and in-house cleaning organisations that strive to maintain hygienic environments for the benefit of building occupants.

“Cleaning standards and certification ensures safe and healthy buildings and that the appropriate skills and knowledge are applied to safely clean office equipment, furniture, flooring, toilets, hallway, elevators, and other parts of an office building,” Macgregor-Skinner said.

Photo by Izz R on Unsplash.