Reputation of businesses mainly depends upon the kind of working conditions they provide at their office premises. Workplace cleanliness and hygiene contribute towards developing a healthy workforce. 

If your employees are happy, it will reflect on the productivity of your business. When they are healthy and happy, you will see that they will enjoy working for your company, and their sick leaves will also reduce quite significantly.

Besides employee satisfaction, there are some other reasons why clean work environment can benefit your business. If your business premises are kept clean and organized, it will create a good image about your company among other people who visit the place. You wouldn’t want your investors, clients, or suppliers to get turned off, because of the dirty and unorganized workplace.

Hygienic offices also prevent the accumulation and growth of harmful microorganisms like virus and bacteria. Workplace sanitation will help in preventing the spreading of contagious diseases.

Clean offices also reduce the chances of accidents like trips, falls, and slips. Some office accidents can prove to be costly for the company, especially if the employees sue the company for making them work in unhygienic work conditions.

Businesses that care about employees and their reputation always hire the services of commercial office maintenance services to ensure high level cleanliness and hygiene in their working premises. 

These companies offer various cleaning services like – 

• Vacuuming and cleaning
• Sanitizing of restrooms and pantry
• Cleaning of water coolers, microwaves and refrigerators
• Window cleaning
• Emptying the waste baskets
• Pressure washing
• Dusting of file cabinets, desks, window sills and blinds
• Carpet cleaning
• Floor waxing

At the same time, it is also the duty of employees to ensure cleanliness of their workplace. Therefore, you must draft certain policies for your employees to follow.

First thing you need to do is not allow employees eat anything on their work desks. Many people prefer to take have their lunch at the working desk, as they want to utilize their lunch time to catch up with their backlog. On the other hand, a few employees are too lazy to walk to canteen or pantry to have their food, and thus end up eating at their desk.

No matter what the reasons are for people to eat food at their desk, it is certainly a very unhealthy practice and must be avoided at all cost. It will also put an extra pressure on the commercial office maintenance services staff too.

Following are few reasons why one must avoid eating food on their working desks.

Not suitable for our health – If the employees sit at their desks in office for most of the time, then it can lead to health problems. 

Decreases productivity – Often employees tend to believe that they become more productive by working during coffee or lunch break too. On the contrary, you will become less effective with unwanted multitasking.  For doing quality work, you must be focused only on work and you can never be as efficient while biting that tasty chicken-sandwich.

Adds to our stress – Usually, our work is stressful. However, we should not make our food equally stressful. One must in fact enjoy their food which you may not by eating at your desk in the office. Taking a small break from your work can always increase your efficiency, creativity and productivity. Better take your lunch in pantry or outside to relax your mind for some time.

Working desks are exposed to germs – There can be plenty of germs on your working desk, which can always contaminate your food too. So, by eating food on your desk, you are putting your health at risk.

Offers poor image of your company – If your clients find you eating food on your desk then it can also give a very poor image about your company and quite possibly your company may lose further business. 

Shows irresponsible behavior – The other employees may develop a very poor impression about you, if you continue to eat on your desk.