by Brianna Crandall — May 20, 2020 — GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific and a nationwide provider of advanced dispensing solutions for commercial facilities, recently released results of a proprietary survey to identify pre- and post-COVID-19 office worker attitudes related to office hygiene. The company also offers guidance and resources on workplace hygiene for various industries in light of the current pandemic.
Graphic courtesy GP PRO. Click to enlarge.
Key findings from GP PRO’s survey indicate that the coronavirus outbreak has heightened employee concerns about workplace hygiene and that their concerns will remain elevated once the pandemic is over. Findings also identify what employees say would make them feel safer from germs at work. More specifically, of office workers interviewed:
- 73% state that post-COVID-19, they will be somewhat or very concerned about illness spreading in their workplace;
- 47% state that post-COVID-19, they will be somewhat or very concerned that adequate steps to ensure a hygienic workplace will not be taken;
- 88% state they would feel safer from germs if there were hand sanitizer near the main entrance, yet only 59% of offices offered it prior to the pandemic;
- 72% state they would feel safer from germs if there were facial tissue at each desk, yet only 40% of offices offered it prior to the pandemic;
- 64% state that post-COVID-19, they will remain more concerned about touching restroom door handles than they were before the outbreak; and
- 51% state that post-COVID-19, they will remain more concerned about touching restroom soap dispensers than they were before the outbreak.
In addition to the above findings, GP PRO calculated that prior to the pandemic, businesses lost an average of $564 of value creation annually per employee due to sickness. The calculation is based on each survey respondent’s stated days missed due to sickness and annual income.
Graphic courtesy GP PRO. Click to enlarge.
Julie Howard, vice president and general manager of GP PRO’s Towel, Skincare and Aircare categories, stated:
Based on these findings, I would strongly encourage employers to take responsibility for elevating their workplace hygiene practices. This pandemic is making it clear that enhanced hygiene is no longer optional; it’s critical to the health and well-being of employees.
GP PRO worked with Dynata to recruit 516 survey participants, all of whom worked in an office building most or all of the time prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was fielded April 3 – 9, 2020.
Graphic courtesy GP PRO. Click to enlarge.
Workplace hygiene and coronavirus guidance
GP PRO also offers guidance and resources on workplace hygiene for various industries in light of the current pandemic. The company’s Workplace Hygiene Solutions page offers:
- Guidance from OSHA and CDC distilled into “10 high-impact questions and 59 crucial answers”
- Research-fueled Industry Insights: a point of view on how each industry will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Healthcare, Industrial, Office Buildings, Food Service and Education
- Videos on topics such as “Paper Towels vs. Air Dryers” and “10 Ways to Reduce Germs in the Breakroom”
- News about how businesses are being affected by COVID-19
- Links to COVID-19 resources from OSHA, CDC, WHO, APIC, CMS and FDA
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products, and related chemicals.
GP PRO manufactures and sells such well-known brands as ActiveAire, Angel Soft Professional Series, Brawny, Compact, Dixie, Dixie Ultra, enMotion, and Pacific Blue. GP PRO products meet restroom, foodservice, and break-room needs for office buildings, healthcare, foodservice, high-traffic, lodging, retail and education facilities, plus a wide range of industrial and manufacturing facilities throughout North America.
