The COVID-19 crisis has been a tragedy by anyone’s reckoning and it is far from over, even though the announcement of an effective vaccine does at least give us a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. It has created a seismic shift in the nation’s working practices and we will never return to the way things were in February 2020. Now of course, the hope is that we will reap benefits from the experience, whether it is in lower carbon emissions or an enhanced quality of life. It remains to be seen if the aspirations behind the Build Back Better slogan will be realised.
The cleaning industry has had its own seismic shifts, having been required to guide clients into lockdown, through the first furlough scheme then back out again with the requirement to ensure that the office environment is as safe as possible. And then on, through the Job Support Scheme and back into furlough. Effective office cleaning and sanitisation is now critical to any business, because cleaning is a matter of life and death.
Unsurprisingly this has put cleaning under the spotlight with senior managers showing unprecedented levels of interest and Facilities Managers probing every level of the process, how things are cleaned, when it is cleaned, what is cleaned, and how often it is cleaned.
At Temco this has resulted in a re-assessment of everything to ensure absolute clarity for clients. We have pared every spec down to its constituent elements, task by task, to ensure every aspect is appropriate in this new environment and clear in its methodology. This is then reflected in Temco’s reporting practices. The information was always there as transparency has always been one of Temco’s strengths, but in these days where FMs find themselves under so much scrutiny, it is provided much more proactively.
And of course every site is different. There is no hiding place for generalisation; every site has to be considered and tailored like never before to ensure that new client protocols are understood and implemented, taking into consideration use levels, social distancing, office occupancy, supplies, every consideration.
It has been a massive task, but Temco, always agile and fast on its feet, always fast to innovate, can genuinely say that they have embraced the spirit of Build Back Better.