Staples Advantages Survey Shows End-user Demand, Desire, for Flu-fighting Products
This year's flu and germ survey, which polled more than 150 U.S. office workers, revealed some of the workforce's cleaning and health habits at the office. For example:
- "Sick days" may be a thing of the past: While nearly one-third of respondents' companies have sick day policies, more than 60 percent of employees felt compelled to go into work because there was "too much going on" or felt the need to "tough it out."
- More than your inbox needs cleaning: People are more consumed with cleaning their e-mail inbox than their physical workspace. Nearly half of all workers clean their inboxes at least once a day, whereas only 15 percent clean their physical workplace at least once a day.
"Thankfully, today much is known about how germs and viruses cause illness," noted Lisa Hamblet, vice president for the facility solutions and service business of Staples Advantage. "Armed with knowledge and a thorough cleaning regimen, businesses can take positive steps to change habits and combat the flu, keep sickness at bay and promote a healthy and productive office. A proactive approach to prevention is the best defense."
What is The Dirtiest Office Item?
Survey findings about perceptions of the dirtiest office items include:
- Nearly one-third of respondents believe their keyboard and phone are the dirtiest items in their office, yet less than 10 percent clean these items often.
- About 15 percent think the breakroom dish sponge is the dirtiest item in the office. Half of respondents also noted that colleagues leave dirty dishes in the kitchen.
- Less than 10 percent say they clean desk surfaces very often with disinfectants or sanitizing products, a concerning habit since nine out of 10 respondents also said many employees at their company eat meals at their desks.
Nearly 100 percent of survey respondents noted they are concerned with catching a virus at work, but less than 40 percent have taken additional preventative measures to keep germs at bay.