COVER STORY A NEW GENERATION
Unify Solutions asks why we should take a fresh approach to facilities management in the post-pandemic era.
The pandemic provided the cleaning industry with an opportunity that rarely comes along: the chance to shout about the invisible – and often unnoticed – difference we make to every single sector within the UK.
Never in our lifetimes have we experienced a cultural, social and economic shift which has centred so closely on the importance of sanitisation and cleanliness. We always knew the role we played in keeping people safe, but why didn’t others?
We can, in part, put this down to years of bad habits from a minority, that created a negative perception about many. From misleading contract terminology, a lack of concern for team wellbeing and the widespread absence of digitally-driven reporting data, careless attitudes towards the very basics of what our industry delivers snowballed to such an extent that the sector became defined as outdated, uncaring and inconsequential.
COVID-19 changed that. Overnight, FM and cleaning services were identified as the only force able to achieve healthy and safe environments to protect everyone working within them from an invisible threat. We became vital to the continuation of normal society, essential to the upkeep of the economy, and integral to the wellbeing of those who couldn’t work from home.
The businesses that were already going above and beyond to support the welfare of their colleagues and customers
28 | TOMORROW’S FM
suddenly began shouting about it. Steering away from the traditional race to the bottom on price, they began demonstrating the value in prioritising quality and care above profits and revenue, proving how their services are congruent to the success of businesses of every shape, size and form.
There is still work to be done. Even though many are taking great strides to improve the industry’s reputation, there is an opportunity for us to work more closely – and learn from one another – to enhance what’s currently on offer. But how?
Recognise the worth of people For many years, some providers have seen their people as a resource rather than a person; even on work schedules that outlined who would deliver a service and when, an employee number would appear rather than their name. This practice created an invisible labour force working unsociable hours at the bottom end of the pay scale, with no benefits, no security and no employer engagement.
When COVID-19 hit, demand for cleaning services surged and suddenly those who’d been working in the shadows were plunged into the spotlight and made accountable for the safeguarding of workplaces across the country. Those who’d been seen as a commodity, paid below the real Living Wage, became instantly more valuable. They were the face
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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