Dirty Job: Germ Fears Make Workers Wary of HQ

Scot Devine November 19, 2021

Employers already worried about the threat posed by rising burnout rates and the so-called Great Resignation now face health and wellbeing concerns spreading fast among workers, according to new research.

New global data from NTT suggests only 38% of employees believe their employer fully values their health and wellbeing. And a recent UK study by sustainable hygiene innovator, Kastus found that three quarters of staff (78%) are seriously worried about the office environment. Just 16% of workers who haven’t yet returned to the office are fully confident about their health and safety back at the office. Perhaps the pandemic has increased workers’ expectations of their managers.

Unaddressed, however, these jitters could quickly turn into serious problems for HQ. Registered Psychologist, Heidi Watson, said: “94% of workers are stressed and 78% say that the pandemic has affected their mental health. And recent research from psychologists studying the effects of the pandemic on workers found that, if physical safety concerns are left unaddressed particularly in the context of coming back to office after lockdowns, employees become disconnected from work and performance plummets.

Before, workers might have merely been concerned by the occasional office mouse sighting or an offensively mouldy yoghurt in the fridge, but hygiene-related safety concerns are causing real anxiety amongst staff. 79% of people in the Kastus ‘Safe at Work’ report said the threat of poor hygiene and the risk of exposure to COVID-19 would seriously increase stress levels at work. And the majority (72%) were not confident in their employer to make their place of work COVID-safe. With many managers already implementing numerous increased safety measures, it seems there is still a way to go before the majority of staff will feel reassured.

Darragh O’Connor, VP of Global Marketing at Kastus, said: “It’s clear from the research that people are still concerned about the risk of catching viruses from shared spaces. Plus, they expect their employers to show they care and invest in the best possible hygiene defenses.”