The cleaning and facilities management industries constantly prove their standards of service and health
and safety compliance through awarded standards. This helps large contract providers determine whether they meet certain criteria without passing cost to the client, and helps drive up quality and best practice. Standards also make it easier for clients to eliminate risk, allowing compliant companies the upper hand. The trade associations associated with the sector do a great job in ensuring that these processes are as streamlined as possible, given the often complex nature of bidding for work.
As pressures mount on our clients and on our sector, among many other entry level sectors such as social care and retail, to do the best they can socially, and as the political focus moves on to living standards of the lowest paid, more work needs to be done to showcase efforts, and prove the positive attitude towards change. The worst case scenario
The plight of young people trying to enter the job market has been the subject of much debate in the media over the past
year. A rise in the number of NEETs – young people not in education, employment or training – and the alleged exploitation of interns, have kept the columnists, politicians and pundits occupied.
However, the cleaning industry has a great opportunity to provide young people with a rewarding job, either while still in education, or once they have left. Cleaning is an eminently fl exible role, offering various shift patterns, and a fair amount of evening working. This enables students to fi t work in between lessons and lectures, and also expands their education. It gives them experience of life in the
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resulting from inactivity on the issue could be having change forced upon businesses via legislation made without the optimum level of consultation. So, how can cleaning and FM companies show that they are credible in their commitment to the living wage, full-time hours and daytime cleaning, training, diversity in the workforce, and environmental progress?
Would another standard, delivered by an industry body, and created in consultation with both large FM providers and SMEs alike, be a solution to driving home the message that many within the industry are not only committed to supporting their employees, but also that they recognise the numerous business-related benefi ts of good social practices? Or, would it be another burden for the private sector to carry? If you’re a fi rm believer, like many industry leaders are, that social improvements can be made with little or no cost to the provider then the former could sound like a realistic option. Trade bodies could provide support as part of this standard in terms of how to best make changes within companies, best practice guides and training.
‘real world’ and improves skills not offi cially taught as part of the national curriculum.
The cleaning sector has also made great strides in the area of pre- and on-the-job training. Organisations like BICSc, which seek to raise the quality of education and build awareness of the cleaning industry through professional standards and training, delivered by accredited providers, are recognised and trusted by the industry. There is also a much greater awareness and commitment to providing better back- up to employees, with managers now more visible and easily available when needed – but also providing on-going, proactive support.
Finally, more and more cleaning companies are pledging to provide a decent wage to their employees, with an encouragingly increasing number signing up to the ‘Living Wage’
There are a number of other questions to consider: Should the focus be on pushing government contracts to require the living wage to be paid to avoid loosing out to competitors who pay less? Should companies paying a living wage be awarded tax breaks as an incentive? How can the industry best retain its fl exibility while making improvements? The British Cleaning Council is keen to fi nd solutions to these issues, and to start a conversation on the best way to approach our response to social sustainability.
Melissa Higgs, British Cleaning Council
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
This month we ask... Ho growing social sustaina entry levels, and is ther younger people to the i
campaign. All these developments prove that the cleaning industry has a unique chance to blaze a trail in this area, providing young people with support, training, and a good wage in return for their work – together with an introduction to a fulfi lling role that provides a crucial service to every business and organisation in the UK.
Ceris Burns Managing Director, Ceris Burns International
www.cbipr.com
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
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