It has been a strange twelve months for workplaces across the UK, as many lay dormant after local governments advised staff to work from home.

But as restrictions begin to ease, and workers start flocking back to city centres, towns, and office spaces across the UK there is still very much an air of caution.

A recent study from So Pure Air of 2,000 UK adults in February found more than two in five were reluctant to go back to their physical workplace.

How can you help reassure your staff ahead of a return to the workplace?

A commercial cleaning company based in South Wales is helping to change the narrative by ensuring a secure working environment.

Rayner Davies, MD and Co-founder of A&R Cleaning Services told us:

‘’After the pandemic hit last year, we knew that the cleaning industry was going to change, maybe for good!’’

‘’Fast-forward to 2021 and to really help our clients’ employees feel safe upon their return to the workplace, we have been providing a range of additional services and procedures.’’

‘’From diversifying to offer bio-misting which kills 99.9999% of envelope viruses like corona virus, bacteria, and germs, we also use biocidal cleaning products that contains a reactive barrier technology, the product simply ‘wakes’ back up when it detects moisture and lasts up to 14 days.’’

It’s this continuous adaptability which has been central to the businesses’ success.

‘’Something we identified from the offset was the importance of providing those visible cleans which meant altering our cleaning schedules to overlap with our clients working hours. This coupled with a higher cleaning frequency to tackle those high-touch, potential COVID hot spots has led to a real peace of mind that employees are in a safe working environment.’’

Effective cleaning and decontamination from companies like A&R has been at the heart of keeping workplaces ‘COVID secure’ as well as ensuring employees feel confident and safe about being in a physical workspace.

‘’In light of COVID-19, demand for cleaning service providers has surged. Instead of providing that invisible workforce, our cleaners now need to be positioned as that first line of defence.’’

Over the course of many years, cleaning teams across the country have been the unseen labour force, working those unsociable hours to ensure workplaces are ready to welcome staff ahead of the working day.

But how else has COVID-19 changed the cleaning industry?

It was recently revealed by the British Cleaning Council that cleaners now represent around 5% of the entire UK workforce, which works out to be approximately 1.63 million.

There has never been a higher reliance on contract cleaners who provide such a pivotal role in ensuring staff have a safe space to work. A&R have provided just that for thousands of employees across the UK.

As well as providing this safe space, the soft services provider has also produced a range of re-opening guides and videos, becoming a real key player in supporting businesses and their plans to re-open across Wales and the West of England.

Rayner concluded,

‘’As restrictions continue to ease it’s vitally important that businesses don’t become complacent and continue to provide the safest possible environment for staff, and that starts with your cleaning provider.’’

Find out how A&R Cleaning Services can help to support your business.