Why do we forget to appreciate cleaners?
Anyone who employs a cleaner in their own home knows how much time and effort a cleaner allows them to save, in order to spend it elsewhere. Why is it then that we sometimes forget to appreciate the time and effort a cleaner puts in, often at a minimal wage, in order for us to do that? It is no different with a cleaner in a commercial environment, except that they are usually paid less and thanked less.
Do you employ a cleaner directly or through a cleaning company for your office cleaning, showroom cleaning, warehouse cleaning, school cleaning, surgery cleaning or any other commercial environment? Have you ever considered it your duty regardless of whether you actually pay their wages to say thank you?
Some cleaners are treated as part of the team
Being a commercial cleaner can present a strange situation. It is not uncommon for a cleaner working across multiple sites to be treated entirely differently by each company. Cleaners don’t have to be employed directly by their office or workplace to be included in workplace appreciation, and they don’t have to work during core ‘office hours’ either.
Cleaners fall between the gaps
The reality is often very different. Often, cleaners work out of hours, missing out on the workplace social environment, celebrations and thanks. Often cleaners are employed by third parties in order for them to be hired, trained and managed externally. There is no problem with hiring externally. After all, aZtec provide a daily commercial cleaning service exactly like this. The problem is when cleaners fall between the gaps. No matter how much aZtec appreciate, pay, gift or incentivise our commercial cleaners, they still look to the workplace employees they work with for appreciation of the work they do. They, as humans, still want to belong and feel part of a team. Cleaners are out on a limb when placed solely on a site, often out of working hours.
How would you feel?
Ask yourself, how would you feel if you cleaned the hair off someone’s chair, scrubbed the toilet after their use, wiped the viruses off their door handles, emptied their lunch and fingernail clippings out of their bin – and never got a word of thanks. Much less – never got a hello, a wave, a nod, a hint of recognition or a polite and friendly note. This is the reality for cleaners or janitors all over the world. Do you even know your cleaner’s name?
What can I do to show appreciation to my cleaner?
We’re so glad you asked. First of all, you can take note of #ThankYourCleanerDay on 20th October 2021. You can plan a little something, no matter how small or inexpensive to show that you appreciate all that your cleaner does for you.
Is one day of thanks for my cleaner enough?
No, but it is a start. Thank Your Cleaner Day is important for the education of your entire team to appreciating your cleaners. It is a chance to start a new culture of showing our cleaning key-workers that they are valued. Our world is strange, where some of us consider ourselves more important or superior to others. This is more common that we would think.
