by Danielle JohnsonABC
Lack of consequences for sloppy etiquette and employees not cleaning up after themselves can become ingrained behavior.
picture: 123rf
Have you ever spent half your lunch break searching in vain for a fork in the office kitchen?
Maybe you've resorted to writing a passive-aggressive message reminding your co-workers to wash their coffee cups, or maybe you've made fun of a similar message someone else left.
But the cleanliness of an organization's shared kitchen and bathroom facilities is no laughing matter, and as Libby Sander, associate professor of organizational behavior at Bond University in Gold Coast/Yugambit County, explains, it can be a good indicator of the overall office culture.
“Going into the bathrooms and the kitchen will clearly tell you, without spending a lot of money on engagement surveys, do people really care about the workplace they're in?”
Most employees don't intentionally ignore their co-workers' feelings, but the lack of consequences for reckless etiquette can lead to it becoming ingrained behavior, Dr. Sander says.
“It might be 'Well, I didn't wash my hands and eat my lunch at that time, so maybe it's okay, I won't get sick'; or 'I didn't wash my coffee cup and someone' or else that would have been fine for me, and I'd probably keep doing it.”
Not only does poor workplace etiquette have wide-ranging effects on the overall office culture, but it can also negatively impact the physical health and mental well-being of employees.
The culture shock of a dirty office kitchen
A dirty office kitchen not only makes finding clean cutlery and coffee cups a frustrating task, but it also causes cognitive drain and productivity losses.
Keeping a shared kitchen clean and sanitary is also an example of what is referred to as a “non-promotable task,” and according to a 2018 Harvard Business School study, women are 48 percent more likely to “volunteer” for these chores, which can lead to… to exacerbate the problem. Further slowing their career progress.
If the same people are constantly making up for messy co-workers, Dr. Sander says, “it will lead to frustration, resentment, and maybe eventually yelling at someone, which is not the outcome we want.” .
“I'm sure we've all been in kitchens, where I've seen people get so frustrated, they've actually put up a sign saying, 'Your mother doesn't work here, please clean up yourself.'”
So, who is responsible for cleaning the office kitchen?
The simple answer to who should be responsible for cleaning an office kitchen is that the person using the cup, plate, or utensil should wash it or put it in the dishwasher — and whoever made the mess should clean it up themselves.
“If you don't want your colleagues to talk about you, take responsibility,” says Dr. Sander.
One of the difficulties of maintaining a clean office kitchen is that it's an area where there often isn't clear communication or workflow to determine who's in charge, but Dr. Sander says it's ultimately up to senior leaders to know what's going on in their organization.
“What are the consequences of not stepping in to help your colleagues or not actually doing your fair share of what is expected?
“It is absolutely the responsibility of managers to oversee all of this and look at what is already working well, what is not working well and what needs to change.”
Benefits of cleaning our business
Dr. Sander points to the findings of a 2002 Norwegian study on the effects of a controlled increase in cleaning quality, which found that a cleaner desk led to a 12.5 percent reduction in sick leave, as well as an increase in productivity.
“So, you'll be less sick at first… and you won't be so grumpy every time you go to the kitchen [if you’re not seeing] The sink is full of dirty coffee cups and you can't get a fork for lunch. “It makes it a nicer place for everyone.”
As National Director of Psychological Services at the Center for Corporate Health, Rachel Clements, recently told the ABC, scheduling appropriate breaks gives workers a better sense of control and improves productivity and mental well-being — which is one reason you should avoid eating at your desk. As Dr. Sander explains.
“A typical office desk is home to more than 10 million bacteria, which is 400 times more than a toilet seat,” she says.
“The biggest contributor to this, other than not washing your hands when you go to the bathroom, is eating at our desks.
“Taking an actual physical break when you go out, getting some fresh air and sunshine, getting some exercise, interacting with others or finding a quiet place to sit alone is very important, so stay away from the desk and don't eat there.”
This story was first published by ABC.
