In recent years, news headlines have screamed about high-profile scandals involving big names and companies like Martha Stewart, Enron, and Tyco. Due to these high-profile scandals, companies and individuals are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of ethics in the workplace and in everyday life. What role do ethics play in your cleaning business?
Often (and maybe always) you’ll be cleaning your clients’ buildings at night when no one from the business is around. In addition, you may have access to areas that have types of confidential or non-public information. Because of this, it’s critical that your customers can trust your cleaning company and believe that you and your employees will act ethically.
Business ethics sets standards and establishes a value system for how you will operate your business. It is important to remember that ethics is much more than just not “breaking the law.” They are standards of “right” and “wrong” that dictate what people should and shouldn’t do. Acts such as intentional abuse of company equipment and theft by employees are clear violations of ethics. However, there are many gray areas that are not as easy to categorize as right or wrong behavior.
Here are some examples of problems your cleaning company and its employees may encounter:
1. There is a box of old phones, calculators, and small electronics labeled as junk. Your employee must pick it up and throw it away. Since the box is labeled “trash”, is it really theft if an employee takes something out of the box for their own use? After all, the business you’re cleaning doesn’t want these items anymore.
2. One of your cleaners is working alone in a building. The employee vacuums behind a photocopier. Hidden and covered in dust is a $5.00 bill. Obviously, this bill has been there for quite some time. What happens if the clerk takes the $5.00 bill and puts it in his pocket? After all, no one is around to notice and it’s only $5.00.
3. One of your employees is cleaning in a computer lab and unplugs a computer so he can plug in his vacuum, causing a major computer problem for the customer. Such a mistake could cause an employee to hide the mistake from him and play dumb. But as his employer, he must encourage honesty, no matter how serious the offense.
4. You have just received a check from a customer and see that not only has your current invoice been paid, but you have also paid the previous invoice again. They have a lot of money and you work so hard for yours, is it really that bad to just cash the check? They will never miss it.
You and your employees will know what is and what is not legal. Having a written ethics policy to cover those gray areas will guide employees through the not illegal but tempting situations they may find themselves in. An ethics policy may be just a few paragraphs in your employee handbook. And making sure your employees know where you stand on ethical issues from day one on the job can prevent problems from happening.
What types of situations should your policy cover? This will vary by company; however, you may want to include some of the following:
* Conflicts of interest (for example, working for two cleaning companies and disclosing client information to a competitor)
* What to do with property (money, jewelry, etc.) found on the floor, on bathroom counters, etc.
* Do not read information on desks or go through files or desk drawers
* Proper disposal of chemicals.
* Do not take out anything that is in the trash
* Never allow friends or family into the building when you are working
* Always treat building tenants, employees and visitors with respect
* Treat other cleaning company employees with respect.
Research shows that if a company has a strong sense of integrity, there is a positive influence on its bottom line. And in the cleaning field, it’s extremely important that your customers know that you set high ethical standards for yourself and your employees. Remember, you reap what you sow.” Treating customers and employees with respect will result in less employee turnover and loyal customers. This is the key to not only the survival of your cleaning business, but also its growth and success. financial well-being.
Copyright (c) 2007 The Cleaning Shop