Worker safety day illustration. Safety and health work day in april


This week features Worker Safety Day, a holiday honoring frontline staff and their contributions. Cleaning crews service their communities by guaranteeing hygienic environments that promote public health and safety. Yet, this role comes with its own unique hazards that can easily compromise workers’ well-being.

To honor Worker Safety Day, CleanLink asked its readers to offer key insights on current labor challenges and industry initiatives to safeguard staff. The responses illustrate how the foundation of a cleaning company is built around the needs of employees, rather than an afterthought.

The audience was asked the following questions with their accompanying answer options:

1) Which factor currently has the greatest impact on your organization’s staffing challenges?

Competitive wage pressures
High attrition rates
Upskilling barriers
Staffing shortages

2) Which area should be the top priority for improving worker well-being?

Providing high-quality PPE and ergonomic equipment
Employee compensation and benefits
Chemical safety and technical training
Work-life balance and culture

3) Which industry-wide initiative could best improve worker safety?

Audits of standards and protocols
Continuous safety education
Adopting automotive technologies
Participatory management

The State of Staffing

The greatest factor contributing to hiring and retention challenges, according to 44 percent of respondents, revolves around competitive wage pressures. According to a Swept report, annual growth rates of 4 to 5 percent alongside average wages by state create a competitive hiring environment.

However, when coupled with additional concerns such as high attrition rates (17 percent) and upskilling barriers (11 percent), pay is only the beginning of what management is required to provide prospective employees.

Staffing shortages also remain a present concern, with 28 percent of readers sharing it has had an impact on their organization’s operations. Increasing labor costs alongside a stagnant labor pool indicate the difficulties in balancing the need for competent staff and a company’s ability to retain them throughout and beyond the hiring process.

Worker Well-being

After recruitment, the next step for management is to retain frontline staff. Additional benefits can show an organization’s commitment to investing in staff. For instance, around 86 percent of employees are concerned about the cost of health insurance, making them likely to look for jobs that include comprehensive health benefits. Compensation and benefits that improve worker well-being are a priority, which is affirmed by the 72 percent of industry professionals who share it is their leading factor.

Work-life balance and workplace culture are also important considerations in reducing attrition rates and supporting staff. Over half of workers shared in a survey that work-life balance is one of three priorities they consider when accepting a job offer. When a company centers people over processes, employees feel valued.

Beyond wages and benefits, education is essential for safe operations. In commercial cleaning, staff utilize different chemicals and techniques to sanitize, disinfect, and clean environments. About 11 percent of respondents share that safety starts with chemical and technical training, while 6 percent claim high-quality PPE and ergonomic equipment can best safeguard employees.

Safety First Solutions

Although technology continues to transform commercial cleaning operations, only 6 percent share it is their preferred tool to optimize worker safety. Overall, 72 percent of respondents believe the most important initiative in maintaining staff safety is continuous education.

To build confident and capable employees who deliver consistent quality levels of cleanliness, management will need to provide ongoing training. Not only does training increase compliance, resulting in safer operations, but it can also elicit essential feedback that strengthens overall cleaning procedures.

Frequent feedback and real-time data can also support audits of standards and protocols, which 11 percent of audience members share improves worker safety. The same percentage of people believe participatory management is also necessary, as it affords leaders an opportunity to better understand daily cleaning tasks and ultimately can lead to enhanced worker safety and output.