Blog

Cleaning Department Staffing Struggles

Staffing shortages and related challenges continue to plague in-house custodial departments across the country as facilities managers struggle to attract and retain skilled laborers in an increasingly competitive market.

Employee Issues Impacting In-House Cleaning Departments
A recent Facility Cleaning Decisions Management Survey asked facilities managers for schools and universities, commercial, hospitality, government, and healthcare buildings about recent staffing challenges, how they currently address those challenges, and how they envision their department progressing in the future.

Create Cleaner Environments for Back to School

Cleaner, healthier classroom environments translate into higher student and teacher attendance, better test scores, a significantly increased probability of graduating high school, and markedly improved long-term life outcomes.

The Impact of Classroom Cleanliness on Student Health and Attendance
COVID placed a significant burden on the education system, forcing most schools across the country into a remote or hybrid learning model that has negatively impacted student mental well-being, resulting in the perception of increased negative behaviors.

Cleaning Management Challenges

In-house facility managers consistently confront numerous challenges across multiple building types and environments that could be effectively addressed through well-managed outsourced janitorial services.

Facility Management Cleaning Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic seriously disrupted building maintenance and hygiene programs, leaving in-house facilities managers to face rapidly emerging challenges within and without.

Influenza Infection Prevention Services

Influenza infection prevention services will keep your classroom and office safe and healthy this cold and flu season, and now is the perfect time to get started.

Multiple Outbreaks Cause Influenza Season Concern
Presently, there are three factors causing concern for U.S. public health officials:

The severity of the recently-ended Australian flu season.

Healthy Buildings Build Healthy People

Facility hygiene processes and procedures directly impact the natural environment and the quality of the air we breathe, indoors and out.

The Impact of Air Quality
Low-quality air affects an estimated 9 out of 10 people, causing severe respiratory illness and significantly impacting human longevity.

Classroom Cleaning

A clean and healthy classroom, regardless of age group, is a critical component of student success, directly impacting student and instructor attendance and performance.

Enhanced Classroom Cleaning is an Investment
School buildings directly impact occupant health and performance.

Facility Cleaning Boosts Employee Retention and Morale

Labor shortages and economic challenges are expected to impact businesses of all sizes into next year, underscoring the importance of meeting office worker requirements for cleaner, safer, healthier workplaces.

Office Cleaning Builds Employee Trust in the Workplace
Office worker comfort translates into higher productivity, improved profits, and lower costs.

Monkeypox

A recent request for an increased number of doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services underscores mounting concerns by U.S. health officials regarding an uptick in reported cases of monkeypox.

Mounting Public Health Concerns Regarding Monkeypox
In June of 2022, the HHS announced an enhanced strategy to address the increasing number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S. that consists of:

Vaccinate and protect those at risk of monkeypox,
Prioritize vaccines for areas with the highest numbers of patients, and;
Guide state, territorial, tribal, and local health officials to aid their planning and response efforts.

Hands-Off Janitorial Services and Management

Increasingly, multi-tenant and multi-location property owners and managers are seeking partnerships with vendors and service providers with the skills and expertise to address critical infrastructure and management requirements with little to no supervision--an area in which Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks excels.

Occupant Expectations of Office Health and Safety

Occupant expectations of public facility health and safety standards have increased dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of continuous enhanced cleaning and targeted infection prevention strategies.

Workers Concerned About Workplace Health & Safety
Post-COVID, workers are noticeably and understandably preoccupied with their employer's facility hygiene focus.