As the death toll and number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States continue to rise, employee health is now more important than ever. Good hygiene practices and clean, sterile environments are paramount to keeping employees safe and helping to prevent the spread of this deadly epidemic.

Obviously, the best form of good hygiene is to stay home while under the weather. However, sick leave laws vary from state to state, and without federal regulations that require employers to provide paid sick leave for employees, millions of workers simply cannot afford to take time off. Many employees also face pressure from supervisors for calling in sick, and workloads are often too high to step away for a few days. On top of all that, telecommuting is not always feasible or available in the first place.

In the accounting industry alone, for example, the statistics are staggering. Accountemps, a division of staffing and human resources firm Robert Half, surveyed over 2,800 workers in 28 U.S. cities and found they willingly and regularly go to work when they’re not feeling well:

• 57% of employees sometimes go to work while sick;
• another 33% always do;
• as many as 90% of workers do not take sick leave even when they’re ill;
• 25% say their colleagues also report for duty while sick.

Sanitize Your Workplace with Medical-Grade Disinfection

When taking a sick day or working from home is not an option, the next best thing employers can do to protect employee health from viruses is to provide a clean, germ-free working environment through disinfecting measures.

And while there’s no vaccine for COVID-19, there is a commercial cleaning solution that can help prevent the spread of it: JAN-PRO’s EnviroShield® system.

The commercial disinfectant used in our proprietary EnviroShield® system offers medical-grade disinfection, which quickly eliminates over 99.99% of bacteria and viruses. This includes dangerous bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, common viruses like the cold and flu, and disinfectant-resistant pathogens like MRSA.

The EnviroShield® system works by wrapping around surfaces to eliminate germs in traditionally hard-to-reach areas. JAN-PRO cleaning franchisees are extensively trained and thoroughly focused on cleaning and disinfecting an entire building, especially high-risk surfaces such as door handles, light switches, elevator buttons, and similar high-touch locations.

Even though it’s tough on germs, the disinfectant used in JAN-PRO’s EnviroShield® system is safe on your staff, visitors, and the environment. And with the added use of our EnviroShield Endure® antimicrobial system, JAN-PRO’s EnviroShield system can continue to eliminate germs for up to 6 months or more.

Good Hygiene Goes a Long Way

In addition to commercial-grade cleaning with medical-grade disinfection, promoting healthy habits is a sound way to help protect employee health and reduce absenteeism – in general, and especially during an outbreak as serious as COVID-19.

Common signs of COVID-19 infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, and other respiratory symptoms and issues.

To help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases in Tampa, the CDC recommends the following:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.

A Cleaner, Healthier Workplace Environment

The virus outbreak is certainly scary – but you can rely on JAN-PRO cleaning franchisees to help keep your employees and workplace safe. We’ve paved the way in commercial cleaning since 1991, thanks in part to innovative technology like our proprietary EnviroShield® system, which provides hospital-grade disinfection with an eco-friendly solution that treats high-touch areas other systems can’t reach. We value good health, and as owner-operators ourselves, we also understand how costly employee absenteeism can be. Let JAN-PRO cleaning franchisees put our EnviroShield^® system to work for you so you can keep your staff safe and business running smoothly. Call us today at ((813) 864-1940) to learn more and request a FREE estimate!