Importance of personal and workplace hygiene for a pleasant and safe working environment

Importance of personal and workplace hygiene for a pleasant and safe working environment  29th September 2022

Hygiene is a factor that requires attention at all points of time in one's life. The significance of maintaining hygiene only grows with age as responsibilities pile up. While teachers and parents continue to preach about the importance of hygiene throughout childhood, it is only in adulthood that individuals realise its need. Post covid, the importance of cleanliness and personal hygiene has been seriously undertaken to tackle the adversities of health conditions.

Good hygiene helps project a well-maintained image of yourself to your employer. While hygiene habits can prevent diseases, it does not replace the need for purchasing the best health insurance in India that provides a monetary cover to compensate for hospitalisation and allied expenses.

This article covers the benefits of maintaining personal and workplace hygiene and some easy tips that can be followed to ensure the same.

1. Employee-employer satisfaction:
As an employer, you may think that only compensation contributes to employee satisfaction. However, multiple factors affect an employee's perspective towards the organisation. While salary and non-monetary benefits play an essential role, so does the environment- including communication and working conditions. An employee made to work in a confined space with minimal to no care for workplace hygiene is likely to develop a negative image of the organisation and may not create a sense of organisational loyalty, resulting in high attrition rates.
Similarly, an employee that appears not to pay attention to their hygiene is seen negatively as an unbothered, unorganised person in a formal work setting. This negatively affects the employee's performance, and companies that emphasise cleanliness, organisation, and maintaining a high business environment may even lay off such a person.

2. Outsider image of the company:
While employee-employer relationships and satisfaction are vital for the organisation's functioning, more stakeholders play a significant role in the organisation's growth. Partners, suppliers, investors, and other professionals usually visit offices, and presenting an unhygienic office or employees with poor hygiene results in a negative image of the company in their minds.
Such negative word-of-mouth publicity may be detrimental to the company's growth, making it essential to maintain personal and workspace hygiene.

3. Reduced health concerns:
The effect of poor workplace or employee hygiene directly impacts the health of employees. Since employees are human capital for any organisation, employees frequently falling sick due to improper hygiene is bound to affect the functioning and profitability of the organisation.
Therefore, employees and employers must always maintain their and the office's hygiene. While good hygiene can prevent diseases, employers should invest in their employees' well-being by providing them with the best health insurance in India and reducing the burden of massive medical bills

How can employers maintain workplace hygiene?
The employer is responsible for providing a clean and well-maintained environment that allows employees to collaborate and make the most of their capabilities using the resources provided to them to work towards the organisation's goals. Some simple ways to ensure that the workspace is clean are:
● Clean and sanitised restrooms
● Cleaned windows to allow ventilation or functional air conditioners
● Installation of air filters in polluted cities
● Regular HVAC duct cleaning

How can employees maintain personal hygiene?
Personal hygiene is not a new concept. It is only the implementation that may seem difficult to some. Following these simple tips will ensure that employees can present themselves in the best manner:
● Following the official dress code
● Ensuring proper grooming before coming to the office
● Use of self-hygiene products like deodorants, trimmers, etc.
● Regular sanitisation of desks and periodic washing of hands with soap and water

Hygiene is a basic necessity in our lives, and workplace hygiene is no exception. Employers and employees can optimise the work environment to ensure enhanced productivity by making a conscious effort together. A healthy workspace blooms fresh ideas, and these ideas drive the success of the organisation and its individuals. Good health results from practising healthy habits, and when we talk about maintaining good health, insurance plays a vital role too. Employers must buy the best health insurance in India for their employees as a responsibility to ensure their well-being and value their commitment.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.