All of our frontline workers deserve gratitude and appreciation for their unrivalled dedication and professionalism throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of those frontline workers have been recognised by weekly celebratory clapping events during the thick of lockdown, others with government supported pay increases, and then there are a host of unsung heroes that have been busy in the background working around the clock to keep us safe without fuss our bluster – our cleaners.
Cleaning teams in offices, banks, shops, supermarkets, restaurants and train stations but to name a few are working to keep hygiene standards high to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and keep us safe while we go about our daily lives. Where other professions were given critical worker status early on in the pandemic, cleaners were not and yet these are the people that have protected us and put themselves at the forefront of risk since day one.
Cleaning has typically been a very hidden and thankless task, often carried out during the darkness of night so as not to disrupt daytime activities. Cast under a beaming spotlight, Covid has brought cleaners and their operations from out of the shadows. Now mission-critical, the frontline workers in the cleaning industry are going to great lengths to keep us safe and enable people to continue with their daily lives. Cleaning between uses, making cleaning materials available, increased cleaning frequency, Covid-secure measures – these practices are all informed by our cleaners. Hygiene is at the top of everyone’s agenda. It’s not ok for something to just look clean, there’s increased pressure to prove that it is clean. This is part of the reason cleaning teams are now more visible and are carrying out extended cleaning services at higher frequency during daytime hours. Just one Covid outbreak in a premises could have a significant impact so the work our cleaners do is business critical and in terms of Covid, a potentially life-saving exercise.
Cleaners now have greater responsibility in supporting wellbeing and reducing anxiety. Workers, shoppers, diners and travellers want to know the space they are in is Covid-safe. It is down to the cleaning teams to go to lengths to not only ensure this, but also to prove this with accurate time and activity logs. Basic hygiene cannot be compromised.
The profile of cleaners has naturally been elevated by the pandemic and has gone some way in changing the perception but there is more work to be done to ensure this is a long-term change. The pandemic has presented a chance for the cleaning sector to evolve, come into a position of respect. We are so reliant on cleaners and their thorough output, now more than ever, and the increased professionalism should also see cleaning operatives be rewarded with better levels of pay.
Cleaners are often forgotten when we talk about frontline workers during the pandemic. This is far from acceptable. It’s our cleaners that are enabling workplaces to be occupied, albeit minimally in line with government guidance, and for us to continue with our leisure activities and a degree of normality. Please stop and take a moment to say thank you to your cleaner, not just today, of course, but every day. And, if you are cleaner, take a well deserved bow!