Dealing with poor personal hygiene in the workplace

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Personal hygiene at work is important.

When you work in close proximity to others, things like bad breath and body odour, can become a real issue. 

Raising these issues can cause embarrassment.

No one wants to be told that they smell — or to think this has been the subject of discussions and complaints among their work colleagues.

The conversation can be equally awkward and uncomfortable for the person doing the telling, no matter how tactful their approach.

Bad smells are only part of the problem.

Other culprits with poor hygiene habits can be more difficult to identify and may be causing more serious problems. For example: 

• Unwashed hands can spread germs, illness and infection; 
• Kitchen mess, like unwashed cups and dishes, can be a health hazard; and
• Poor toilet etiquette is unsanitary and leads to the spread of germs and bacteria.

Is there an alternative solution?

Kodiak has posters covering various hygiene issues, including:

• Hand-washing and hand hygiene;
• Transferable germs e.g. colds, flu, food poisoning;
• Dental health;
• Personal hygiene; and
• Kitchen area cleanliness.

Kodiak's posters can help you:

• promote good hygiene and increase awareness;
• educate employees on health and personal care;
• highlight the potential risks and consequences of poor hygiene; and
• address these sensitive issues without confrontation or finger-pointing.

If you need posters to address hygiene issues in your workplace, we have a wide range available via our sales team.

For more information, please call us on 01530 456 000 or visit our website: www.kodiak.co.uk

Tackling absenteeism

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According to the Office for National Statistics, 131 million days were lost due to sickness absences in the UK in 2013. This figure is down from 178 million days in 1993, but still represents a significant problem to UK employers.

While minor illnesses were the most common reason given for sickness absence, back, neck and muscle pain accounted for more lost days than any other cause.

How absenteeism is affecting your organisation

• Increased costs due to administration, wages paid to absent employees and high costs of paying overtime or hiring temporary staff.

• Possible safety issues caused by temporary and less experienced staff coming in at short notice and having to work quickly to catch up.

• Reduced quality / productivity due to provisional staffing measures i.e. less experienced temporary staff or overworked regular staff.

• Managers diverted from their regular duties to attend to staffing problems.

• Low morale where other employees are called upon to pick up the slack.

Sickness absence is just one reason for absenteeism

There are other reasons your employees may be unexpectedly absent from work. 

Some examples include employees who:

• take holidays without booking the time off first
• are being bullied or harassed at work
• are experiencing work-related stress
• have to take care of sick children or relatives
• have low motivation and take "sickies"
• call in sick to attend job interviews

How do you manage your employee sick days?

Tackling absenteeism can be a challenge and the ways of managing sick days can also be problematic. 

Some employers offer paid sick leave, but this system is open to abuse. Without a doctor's note it can be difficult to determine if an employee is genuinely ill.

Some employers offer a set number of paid sick days to be used as needed throughout the year. However, under this system, employees may see their sick days as days owed and take them whether or not they genuinely need to.

Some employers take a harder line and offer Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) only. The problem with this system is that employees who are genuinely ill are put in a position where they are likely to lose money and may feel pressure to work through their illness or return to work sooner than they really should.

In the case of employees with contagious conditions, such as flu or gastro viruses, this risks spreading germs to colleagues. It is also particularly hazardous in food manufacturing or catering environments where germs can be transferred to food and potentially infect a larger number of people.

Getting to the root of the problem

Another way of tackling the problem is to look at the root causes, as described above.

This approach might involve:

• regularly reminding employees to book time off for their holidays
• tackling issues like bullying and harassment by encouraging open communications, offering support to victims and reiterating to perpetrators that this behaviour will not be tolerated and could have serious consequences
• offering advice on managing heavy workloads, time pressures and stress; and encouraging employees to speak out if they are struggling
• looking at ways to improve employee motivation by encouraging a strong teamwork ethic and making your employees feel their contributions are valued 
• trying to retain valued staff by offering more training and/or opportunities
• reminding employees that their company and colleagues rely on them

Kodiak's poster subscription service regularly addresses all of these issues

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If you would like to try a more pro-active approach to managing absenteeism, our posters could help. 

For more information visit: www.kodiak.co.uk 

Or call us on: 01530 456 000

Housekeeping: Four good reasons to keep your workplace tidy

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I think it's fair to say that in every workplace there is at least one person who works in a constant state of apparent disorder. Whether it be a chaotic desk, a messy workstation or a general habit of leaving things lying about, they just can't seem to maintain any sense of organisation.

They may say it's how they work best and that they know where everything is. To some extent that may even be true. But what if they were suddenly off sick, leaving someone else to step into their shoes? What if an important visitor or potential customer was to drop in? What would happen then?

Here are four good reasons to keep your workspace clean and tidy.

1. Health and safety
Around 50% of all slip and trip incidents in the workplace are caused by poor housekeeping. This includes things such as packaging waste and toolboxes left on the floor, unattended spills and trailing cables.

Falling loads are one of the biggest workplace killers. Reasons items may fall include poor stacking and general untidiness.

Untidy floors can block access to safety equipment and emergency exits, which could prove fatal if an incident occurred.

2. Hygiene
It has been reported that some workstations accommodate more bacteria than a toilet seat – 400 times more according to a study by the University of Arizona.

The study found that telephones can accommodate up to 25,127 microbes per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice 1,676.

This is not to mention communal kitchen facilities, especially in small companies, where mucky microwaves. sinks full of dirty dishes and fridges containing festering food all provide breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.

3. Efficiency and productivity
According to time management experts, the average person spends a whole year of their life looking for items they have lost. In the workplace this time is not spent efficiently or productively, so it counts as waste.

One of the main benefits of keeping our workspace tidy is that everyone knows where everything belongs – where to find it and where to return it to.

4. Respect for others
An untidy work area might be normal for you, but consider how it looks to an outsider – a visitor who may also be a potential customer. To that person it may suggest that you are sloppy, disorganised and apathetic. Hardly the qualities of a company they would be happy to do business with.

Also consider your colleagues – it's not too pleasant working around other people's mess. It doesn't take much effort to stay organised by tidying your space each evening and returning communal items and tools to their proper place.

Kodiak's motivational poster programme regularly addresses housekeeping and its associated issues, as described above.

Our posters cover everything from keeping fire exits clear to cleaning up after yourself and keeping things organised.

If you would like to find out more about how our posters can help to improve housekeeping in your workplace, why not contact us for an informal chat.

For daily tips on dealing with common workplace issues, why not follow us on Twitter.

If you would like to find out how Kodiak posters 
can help your business work smoother, smarter 
and safer, please call us on: 01530 456 000 
or email us.

Healthy living: Encouraging a healthier lifestyle

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In 2009 the average UK worker took 6.4 days off work due to sickness. Although this was an improvement against previous years it still amounted to a total of 180 million sick days at a cost of £16.8 billion to the UK economy. (Source)

In a small to medium-sized business, having workers off sick can lead to a drop in productivity and an increase in stress for other workers who have to fill in.

It makes sense, then, that employers should be concerned about the long-term health and wellness of their employees.

One of the best ways to help your employees to take better care of their health is to educate them. I wonder how many of your employees know the risk factors for developing heart disease. How many understand the health implications of binge drinking. Or how many could recognise the early symptoms of diabetes.

Having that knowledge gives your employees the power to take action, to make healthier choices and to improve their lives. It's good for their health and good for your business.

But employee health is not just about the risk of your employees developing serious and debilitating conditions. It's about the smaller things they can do regularly to safeguard their health, like exercising, eating a balanced diet, sleeping well and booking an eye test.

Sensitive issues such as bad breath, personal hygiene and toilet etiquette are also issues in many workplaces, but are often not dealt with because people are too embarrassed to raise them. A simple poster can remind all employees of the acceptable standards without pointing any fingers.

Kodiak's poster programme typically covers two health issues each month. These vary from hard-hitting issues such as smoking, drug use and alchohol abuse; to advice on dealing with stress, shiftwork and allergies.

Because the programme is despatched monthly, we can cover seasonal health issues as they arise. For example, in the winter we look at issues such as Seasonal Affective Disorder, colds and flu. In the summer we cover sun safety and the importance of keeping hydrated.

If you would like to find out more about how Kodiak posters could improve the health of your employees, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For daily tips on dealing with common workplace issues, why not follow us on Twitter.

If you would like to find out how Kodiak posters 
can help your business work smoother, smarter 
and safer, please call us on: 01530 456 000 
or email us.

Basic hygiene: Avoiding winter colds and flu

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With so many bugs going around at the moment, it seems a good time to tackle the issue of contagious illnesses and how they might affect your workplace.

Did you know?

• Cold and flu viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to 24 hours.
• Germs can live on your hands for up to three hours.
• Wet hands can spread 1,000 times more germs than dry hands.

Cold and flu germs thrive at this time of year and an epidemic in the workplace could lead to mass absence and reduced productivity. Safeguard your staff by making sure they understand:

• Good hygiene. Most germs are spread by hand, so make sure your employees understand the importance of washing and drying their hands thoroughly. Hands should be washed frequently, especially before eating and after using the toilet.

• How cold and flu viruses are spread and how they are contracted. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

• The difference between colds and flu. Cold symptoms may include a cough, sore throat, blocked or runny nose and shivers. Flu symptoms also include high fever, chills and severe muscle aches. Most employees should still be able to work with a cold.

• How to avoid spreading germs. Employees can limit the spread of germs if they are ill by regularly washing their hands, using disposable tissues and covering their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing.

• The potential dangers of cold and flu remedies.Some cold and flu medication can cause drowsiness. Employees should always check the label and avoid these medicines, particularly if they drive or operate machinery as part of their job.

Need some help to communicate these messages?

Maybe Kodiak's database of over 10,000 original poster designs can help.

We have a range of innovative posters covering all of these important issues and more. 

For more information, please give us a call on 01530 456000 or email us with your requirements.

Our motivational poster programme covers healthy living and basic hygiene on a regular basis. If you would like to find out more about subscribing, please contact us.

For daily tips on dealing with common workplace issues, why not follow us on Twitter.

If you would like to find out how Kodiak posters 
can help your business work smoother, smarter 
and safer, please call us on: 01530 456 000 
or email us.