Is your desk buried under papers and documents? Are there sticky notes lying on the floor? Although businesses pay a lot of attention to productivity and efficiency, they sometimes fail to acknowledge the importance of clean working spaces. They don’t mind if the office keeps looking like a junk piece as long as employees meet deadlines and goals. You might come across feeble justifications like ‘Einstein’s desk was messy too,’ but not every person can be Einstein, right?
Believe it or not, but the clutter inside the office can be physically and emotionally draining. Employees’ performance coincides with workspace cleanliness and hygiene, which means messy desks will undermine productivity levels. At the same time, what impression are you leaving on clients and investors? Perhaps, of an unreliable business that can’t even maintain a clean working space, ruining business reputation.
If you still don’t realize how a messy workplace can impact business practices, have a look below. Here we are listing six reasons why a dirty office is terrible for your business.
1. Increases Chances of Diseases & Illnesses
The accumulation of dirt and debris on desks can give birth to many health problems. Some employees might encounter breathing problems, while others can suffer from consistent allergies, flu, and cough. And in today’s time, poor hygienic conditions can pose a Covid-19 threat. We’re still facing a deadly pandemic, remember? The entire world is battling to fight a fatal virus by taking precautions and maintaining hygiene. Governments have also issued multiple SOPs for offices to protect employees from this threat.
Thus, to ensure workers don’t get affected by Covid-19 in the workplace, get rid of the mess. You can remove objects that don’t belong in the office, create shelves, or use cabinets to arrange all the paperwork. And use sanitizers and cleaning products to clean up. It would improve wellness in the company while ensuring compliance with SOPs.
2. Undermines business reputation
To you, the mountains of clutter might seem like ‘ooh-so-much-work.’ But, to onlookers and clients, it is unfashionable disorganization. Imagine investors and clients finding their way through dirty floors and desks to reach the conference room. They would reconsider their decision to work with your company while taking a dig at your lack of work ethic. At the same time, customers would use the available office conditions to evaluate your products, or should we say, devaluate.
After all, if you can’t keep the office in order, how can you provide excellent services? Indeed, this reasoning can be incorrect, but this is how clients perceive things. They look for clues that will indicate your professional competency.
3. Impacts productivity levels
According to Entrepreneur, an average worker wastes $48,000 because they are trying to find something. Hence, messy and cluttered offices have a direct impact on productivity levels. It slows the workflow, increases additional costs, and also spikes the employees’ downtime. Simultaneously, the unclean environment also stifles creative mojo. As a result, tackling a new project feels like an uphill battle. Moreover, clutter can be super repressing for the organized personalities who perform the best in clean spaces. It can significantly reduce employee morale, which can affect business efficiency and profitability in the long run.
4. Creates a stressful culture
The overflowing trash cans and piles of paper boxes stimulate a stressful culture inside offices. It makes it arduous to find things, increasing the likelihood of additional stress. If a client rings up regarding their work, employees will have to spend several minutes looking for the file. In addition to increasing mental pressure, workers feel guilty because they cannot perform at their full potential.
Researchers also believe that there is a limit to stimulation a human mind can endure. This means too much clutter can make employees feel trapped and overburdened. Therefore, consider hiring a team of professional cleaners and janitors who can spruce up your office without costing a fortune.
5. Reflects an Unprofessional Behavior
You might think you are giving your employees freedom in the office by not emphasizing cleanliness. More than reflecting an independent office environment, it projects unprofessional behavior. Potential employees coming for an interview will raise questions about your professionalism after seeing all the messy desks and clutter. It might also indicate that the organization is in disarray and might run out of business soon. If you don’t want to drive away from the potential candidates, purge away the clutter and create a professional working space.
To Conclude,
Undoubtedly, doing business can be chaotic in today’s fast-paced world. However, digitalization enables businesses to reduce the mess caused by useless paperwork drastically. This frees up more time to focus on other aspects of cleanliness. You might think a messy office doesn’t matter much, but it makes all the difference in reality. From affecting productivity levels, reducing self-confidence to creating health concerns – an untidy working space is a big turnoff. Here’s some pro advice; hire a professional cleaning service, and keep your office neat and clean!