Good hygiene is an accepted standard of life. In short, if your hygiene isn’t up to standard people will notice and assume that there is something wrong with you, it’s also highly likely that you’ll miss out on an array of social opportunities.
In fact, research suggests that neglecting hygiene can actually be an early sign of dementia. Of course, if you’ve always had poor hygiene it won’t be possible to pick up on this symptom.
In fact, there are 5 excellent reasons why you should take your hygiene and workplace hygiene seriously.
- Bacteria
Bacteria are present everywhere and many of them are not harmful to us. However, there are also plenty of bacteria that are harmful and can make you ill, sometimes even causing death. You only need to look at the coronavirus outbreak to see how quickly a disease can spread and how deadly it can be.
One of the key places where we encounter potentially dangerous bacteria in the washroom and poor hygiene standards contribute to the passing of bacteria between people. That’s why the employer needs to provide clean washrooms with all the necessary washing facilities and sanitary disposal services.
All employees should dispose of sanitary products properly and wash their hands every time they use the facilities, this will prevent bacteria from spreading and people becoming ill.
- Employer Reputation
Your employer has a reputation and this reputation will make a key difference to the success of the business. Yes, a large part of this is based on the quality of the product they make. But, the quality of the product and part of the reputation rests on the employees ability to produce it.
Poor hygiene reflects in lower morale and it can be noticed when others visit the workplace. This will damage the reputation and the quality of the product, effectively reducing demand and potentially leaving you without a job.
First impressions really do count.
- Social Presence
No matter who you are you will need to interact with other people, friendships and attendance at social gatherings will help to prevent loneliness which can spiral into depression.
However, you’ll find that anyone who has poor hygiene levels will find it difficult to be invited on social meetings or connect with others. That’s because people will generally find it hard to be around you.
In short, poor hygiene can seriously affect your chances of making friends and enjoying a team vibe in the workplace.
- Reduced Risk Of Injury
Properly maintained and cleaned premises will reduce the risk of injury for staff and visitors. For example, washrooms that are not cleaned are likely to have slippery and dirty floors. This will increase the risk of people slipping and increase the level of potentially harmful bacteria in the building. The result of which will be an increased number of illnesses and employees absent from work.
Illnesses and absences are not good for morale or productivity.
- Promotion
Whether you believe it to be right or wrong, people are generally picked for promotion based on their skills and their ability to integrate into a team, or even lead a team.
People with poor hygiene levels who don’t respect the workplace hygiene rules are less likely to be accepted by others o able to lead others. The result is they’re likely to be passed over for promotion and will stagnate.
This can decrease morale in the workplace and affect everybody’s work experience.
