Dirty deeds | New research discovers that workplaces are disturbingly filthy

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic threw the subject of health and wellbeing into the spotlight more than perhaps ever before. In its wake, organisations are considering the implications of poor health in greater depth, and likely have made fundamental changes as a result.

For example, asking an employee to attend work when ill with a virus is unthinkable, in an age where remote working is a possibility and viral illnesses are so under the spotlight. Similarly, the simple act of commuting into cities, being packed like sardines with others and touching surfaces that innumerable others have touched has rendered some unwilling to adhere to these age-old practices.

Yet the office still forms a fundamental part of how and where work gets done. Yet you may presume this means that cleanliness and hygiene have become paramount concerns in the workplace.

You may presume this, however recent research reveals some shocking truths about the state of cleanliness in offices across Britain. From neglected desks to unwashed mugs, it seems that many employees are neglecting basic cleanliness practices, turning workplaces into breeding grounds for germs and illnesses.