Back to Work Concept. Closeup of Welcome Note on Takeaway Coffee Cup in Office Desk. Message from a Colleague or Boss


As the second quarter comes to a close, so does the freedom for some corporate workers. According to various reports, many major companies are requiring employees to return to the office full or part-time. 

MSN reports that the initiative to bring people back into the office started with corporate giants like Amazon and AT&T reinstituting the five-day, in-office work week, effective in 2025. Companies like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Starbucks followed suit, but the list continues to grow.

According to a report from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the majority of Fortune 100 companies are now back to in-office work. Compared to two years ago, when 78 percent of Fortune 100 companies were hybrid and 5 percent were fully in-office, those firms are now 41 percent hybrid and 54 percent fully in-office. Fortune reports that the stark shift comes as the companies require workers in the office an average of 3.8 days a week compared to 2.6 days in 2023, per the report.

The belief behind the initiative boils down to productivity advantages and face-to-face collaboration. But the rational means little to custodial departments and contract cleaning companies responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of these facilities. 

The key to a strong return-to-office initiative is creating a safe and healthy environment for the employees. With more people occupying the space, the potential for increased germs and bacteria grows, forcing more frequent cleaning and disinfecting, especially of high-touch surfaces. It means more trash to be removed, more dust that gets kicked up unless floors are kept clean, and a proper matting program that controls tracked-in dirt and promotes safety.

As more companies move toward in-office work, cleaning professionals must reevaluate custodial programs, expand offerings, and ramp up purchases of consumables. Hygiene should be a priority and building occupants should understand that their health and well-being are the focus as they return to facilities.

Reportedly, this wasn't the case when President Trump forced all federal workers back to the office earlier this year. According to The American Prospect reports, cleaning programs were not reflected to accommodate the additional foot traffic. Federal employees went back to facilities and were met with overflowing trash cans, clogged sinks, an abundance of pests, and a lack of toilet paper and other basic products.