How does workplace hygiene reduce absenteeism?

Workplace hygiene reduces absenteeism by preventing respiratory and digestive infections spread through hands and frequently touched surfaces, which account for most sick leave. Regular hand hygiene, disinfection of shared surfaces, ventilation and a policy of staying home when ill break the chain of transmission and reduce the number of illnesses. Fewer illnesses mean fewer days of absence and a more stable team.

What are the most contaminated surfaces in an office?

The most contaminated surfaces in an office are those touched often by many people and cleaned rarely, such as door handles, light switches, lift and coffee machine buttons, shared keyboards and mice, phones, the fridge handle and the taps in the restrooms. These should be disinfected daily and whenever needed, using approved products and following the instructions in the technical data sheet.

How often should surfaces in a workplace be disinfected?

How often surfaces in a workplace should be disinfected depends directly on how much each area is used. Frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, switches and shared equipment are disinfected daily and whenever needed, and restrooms need disinfecting at least twice a day. In addition, desks and floors are cleaned daily, while walls, blinds and ventilation systems are cleaned periodically.

Workplace hygiene 2026: 10 essential measures

Workplace hygiene in 2026: 10 essential measures for reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity

Workplace hygiene is now a constant performance factor. Every door handle touched, every shared keyboard, and every cubic meter of air in an open-space office can carry microorganisms that, within a few days, translate into sick colleagues, delayed projects, and empty chairs.

The good news is that most of these illnesses are avoidable through simple, inexpensive measures that are easy to integrate into your daily routine, whether we are talking about a medical office, a corporate office, or a production space. You don't need large investments, but rather consistency and a few well-chosen habits.

1. Provide hand hygiene products throughout the workspace

Hands are the main route of transmission for respiratory and digestive infections between colleagues. The most effective measure, regardless of the field, is to make hand hygiene easy and accessible: sensor-based hand sanitizer dispensers with hydroalcoholic gel at the entrance, in common areas, and next to meeting rooms, plus soap and paper towels in every restroom.

A gentle soap like Klinsafe (SLES-free) encourages frequent washing without drying the skin, while a sanitizing gel like Alchosept handles situations where there is no immediate access to water. When the action becomes simple, people repeat it, and repetition is what breaks the chain of transmission.

2. Perform daily disinfection of frequently touched surfaces

Door handles, light switches, elevator buttons, coffee machine handles, and railings are touched by dozens of people a day and are rarely cleaned. These must be disinfected daily and whenever necessary, not just during general cleaning. Klinomed™ Wipes or the Klinosept solution allow for quick disinfection between uses.

The basic rule remains valid in any office: cleaning removes dirt, disinfection eliminates microorganisms; one does not replace the other.

3. Clean and disinfect restrooms several times a day

Restrooms are the point with the highest microbial load in an office building. They must be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day and permanently stocked with liquid soap, hand sanitizer, and paper towels. Frequently touched surfaces (toilet bowls, faucets, handles) receive special attention.

Products like Fizzy Tablet and Igienic Plus maintain the hygiene of toilet bowls and floors, and a posted schedule holds the cleaning team accountable and offers transparency to employees.

4. Ensure clean air through ventilation and air disinfection

Air quality directly influences the rate of illness. Studies show that employees in open-space offices of more than six people have approximately 62% more sick leave days than those in small or individual offices; aerosols circulate freely in a shared space. [1]

Regular ventilation, airing out rooms between meetings, and, in crowded spaces, periodic air disinfection through nebulization (for example with Desogen Aero) reduce the microbial load in the air and on hard-to-reach surfaces.

5. Implement a clear "stay home when sick" policy

A single sick employee can infect an entire team. An explicit policy that encourages working from home or taking sick leave at the first symptoms, without stigmatization, limits the spread and shortens the duration of an internal outbreak. Combined with flexibility and space hygiene, this measure transforms the company culture into one that protects long-term productivity, not just short-term attendance.

6. Take care of hygiene in dining areas and the communal kitchen

The office kitchen concentrates underestimated risks: the refrigerator handle, microwave buttons, dish sponges, and countertops become reservoirs for bacteria. These surfaces are cleaned and disinfected daily, sponges are changed frequently, and the refrigerator is emptied and sanitized periodically to prevent mold and odors. A clean dining area reduces food poisoning and the transmission of digestive infections between colleagues.

7. Electronics and shared equipment must be cleaned and disinfected daily

Keyboards, mice, landline phones, shared printers, and touchscreens are among the most contaminated items in an office, yet the most frequently ignored. They should be disinfected with products compatible with electronics (disinfecting wipes, for example), without getting the components wet. At "hot-desking" stations, used by multiple people, disinfection before and after each user should be a routine.

8. Equip the workspace correctly with authorized products and train staff on their use

Effective hygiene depends on using the right products, correctly. Disinfectants must be authorized as biocides and applied according to the instructions in the technical data sheet; more product does not mean cleaner. Cloths and mops should be color-coded by area to avoid cross-contamination (e.g., materials from the restroom never reach the kitchen). Brief training of the cleaning staff and employees on these rules ensures the protocol is actually applied and does not remain just on paper.

9. Opt for a regular schedule of professional cleaning and documentation

Beyond the daily actions of employees, the space requires a structured cleaning and disinfection schedule, with different frequencies by zone:

frequent disinfection for heavily used surfaces,
cleaning daily for desks and floors,
periodic cleaning for walls, blinds, and ventilation systems.

Recording operations in a chart (what was done, when, with what product) provides predictability, makes the team accountable, and allows for a rapid response in case of an outbreak.

10. Build a culture of hygiene in the workplace

No measure works if it remains the responsibility of just one person. A culture of hygiene is built through subtle signage (posters at sinks and in the kitchen), through the example set by managers, through the constant availability of consumables, and through normalizing simple gestures (covering coughs, disinfecting the desk at the end of the day, seasonal vaccination campaigns). When hygiene becomes a collective habit, not an imposed chore, the result is seen directly in fewer sick days and more productive teams.

Workplace hygiene in 2026 is no longer a seasonal topic, but a constant driver of productivity. The ten measures above, from hand hygiene and surface disinfection to clean air, a healthy sickness policy, and a collectively embraced culture, support each other and can be applied in any space, from a small office to an entire building.

Use biocidal products safely. Always read the label and product information before use.

Sources

[1] Platts, Loretta G, et al. “Sickness Absence and Sickness Presence in Relation to Office Type: An Observational Study of Employer-Recorded and Self-Reported Data from Sweden.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 4, 29 Apr. 2020, p. e0231934, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7190108/, 10.1371/journal.pone.0231934. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.