FEATURE
Plenty of opportunities, but who will take advantage?
Stan Atkins, Chair of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), looks to the future and sees a potential sea change in the way the sector operates thanks to the ‘perfect storm’ of Brexit, a growing skills and employment gap, and new employment legislation.
At the time of writing this column, the full extent of what the UK’s departure from the EU might look like, and when it might happen, was still very unclear.
However, regardless of the actual shade of Brexit we end up with, what has become apparent since the nation voted to leave Europe is the fact many non-UK employees are actively choosing not to take jobs in this country.
In sectors like cleaning the consequences of this shift are set to be huge. For example, the BCC’s own research indicates that in 2016 – the year of the EU referendum – 23% of the cleaning sector’s workforce were foreign born, which is over 160,000.
Added to that, we are also continuing to see people leave the cleaning, waste management and FM industries due to less contentious factors such as retirement. The latest BCC research into this issue suggests that between 2014 and 2024 we will have created 436,000 vacancies through this process known as ‘replacement demand’, while over 90,000 new jobs will be created due to natural commercial growth.
That means we’re looking at 529,000 jobs which require filling to meet the needs of the clients at one end, and a pipeline of hardworking and committed employees being shut-off at the other.
Furthermore, it’s not just about losing headcount. Through the departure of foreign operatives and other cleaning professionals retiring, we are also losing a wealth of experience.
Of course, the rise of robotics could
help to plug some of the gaps, especially with regards to very low- skilled, repetitive and monotonous tasks, and I’m sure the year ahead will see more ‘smart’ automation and other innovations coming through which could increase efficiencies.
But despite the great strides we are taking in the development of autonomous technologies, no amount of robotic scrubber-dryers, IoT- enabled soap dispensers or window cleaning drones will be able to replace the skills we are haemorrhaging.
Another issue which could impact on some parts of the sector is the introduction of new employment rights which seek to clarify the status of self- employed and part-time workers.
Named the ‘Good Work Plan’, it has been described by some as the largest upgrade to workplace rights in a generation and takes into account the growing importance of gig economy workers, contractors, and the role that having a flexible workforce plays in today’s economy.
Any legislation which improves the rights of workers and helps eradicate employee exploitation is to be warmly welcomed. However, some employment experts have also stressed the importance of keeping a balanced labour market and point out that not all workers need or want additional employment rights.
Employers too will be watching this carefully, especially as sectors like cleaning have a disproportionately high proportion of part-time and transient employees.
6 | TOMORROW’S CLEANING PRODUCTS & SERVICES GUIDE 2019
So, what does all of this mean for the sector?`
I believe it means that the cleaning industry has no choice but to make itself a more attractive, rewarding and structured profession which encourages genuine career development and invests in its people.
It means we need to develop and adopt new technologies more quickly, to help fill gaps in our workforce, and increase our productivity.
It means we need to embrace new employee rights and create a flexible proposition which suits our staff and their preferences as much as it suits us and our profit margins.
Finally, I think that the continuing fallout from the collapse of Carillion last January will hasten the demise of the multi-disciplined, one-stop- shop providers – where commercial cleaning is a bolt-on to a myriad of other services – allowing dedicated cleaning companies to once again tender successfully for large contracts based on more than just price.
Or in other words, we need to view the next 12 months as a potential watershed for the sector which offers us a fantastic opportunity to look at the way we work and change how we do business.
If we don’t, we may well see change thrust upon us.
For more information on the British Cleaning Council visit:
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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