Business_Spotlight_No3_202..

(Joyce) #1
WORK & RELAX 79

Fotos: Roel Smart, imagehub88, PeopleImages, feedough, violet-blue, RyanJLane/iStock.com


3/2020 Business Spotlight

affect sth. [E(fekt]
, etw. beeinträchtigen
antiperspirant
[)Änti(p§:sp&rEnt]
, schweißhemmendes
Mittel
appropriate [E(prEUpriEt]
, angebracht
approve sb. [E(pru:v]
, jmdm. beipflichten
chewed [tSu:d]
, (ab)gekaut
complacent
[kEm(pleIs&nt]
, selbstgefällig;
hier: gleichgültig
condition [kEn(dIS&n]
, Leiden

deodorant
[di(EUdErEnt]
, [wg. Aussprache]
flu [flu:] , Grippe
HR (human resources)
[)eItS (A:]
, Personal(wesen)
jump to a conclusion
[)dZVmp tu E
kEn(klu:Z&n]
, zu einem vorschnellen
Schluss kommen
mental [(ment&l]
, hier: psychisch
nudge sb. [nVdZ]
, jmdn. anstoßen
offender [E(fendE]
, Zuwiderhandelnde(r)

recruitment
[ri(kru:tmEnt]
, Personaleinstellung
reminder
[ri(maIndE]
, Erinnerung
sanitizer dispenser
[(sÄnItaIzE dI)spensE]
, Handdesinfektions-
(mittel)spender
spotless [(spQtlEs]
, makellos
strive (to do sth.)
[straIv]
, sich bemühen
(etw. zu tun)
tissue [(tISu:]
, Papier(taschen)tuch

toiletry
[(tOIlEtri]
, Hygieneartikel
trial [(traIEl]
, Probelauf, Test
unkempt
[)Vn(kempt]
, ungekämmt,
zersaust
washroom
[(wQSru:m] US
, Toilette
wipe [waIp]
, Reinigungs-,
Feuchttuch
workstation
[(w§:ksteIS&n]
, Arbeitsplatz

affects their concentration level at work.
Body odour, dirty or chewed fingernails,
bad breath, unkempt and dirty hair or
clothing all make a difference to how
someone feels about working with anoth-
er person. Whatever your habits at home,
you’re likely to face challenges at work if
you don’t keep high standards of personal
hygiene and grooming.
It’s not just a moral duty, either. Per-
sonal cleanliness is often covered by
dress codes. “Employees should strive
at all times to ensure that their clothing,
appearance and hygiene are business-like
and contribute to a pleasant office atmos-
phere for both co-workers and visitors,”
say HR experts at HRSimple.com. They sug-
gest that managers should avoid confron-
tation by speaking to offenders in private
and reminding employees regularly about
hygiene.
Discussing personal hygiene is not
something many managers find easy to
do — not least because poor grooming
can be symptomatic of mental health is-
sues, stress or unhappiness. “Do not jump
to conclusions,” advises recruitment web-
site Content.WiseStep.com. “Talk to the per-
son in private. Understand cultural norms
and medical conditions, if any.”
It is, of course, entirely possible that an
employee has just got into bad habits. Ac-
cording to SmallBusiness.co.uk, “the longer
an employee has been working, the more
complacent they become with their ap-
pearance”. In such cases, a polite but firm
reminder is appropriate.
Many firms encourage better person-
al hygiene by providing a spotless en-
vironment. This includes ensuring that
workstations, kitchens and washrooms
are cleaned regularly, and providing free
toiletries for staff (sanitizer dispensers,
wipes and tissues).
John Wesley had good reason to talk
about the need for cleanliness. An almost
complete lack of personal hygiene at the
time meant that diseases such as typhus
and cholera were widespread. Most infec-
tions today are less deadly, but flu, food
poisoning and viruses can be unpleasant
to experience and costly for businesses.
AppliancesDirect.co.uk estimates that Brit-
ish businesses lose at least £1.56 billion
(about €1.84 billion) each year because
of poor workplace hygiene. This includes
colleagues who go to work when they are
ill and don’t regularly wash their hands.

“ If you think cleanliness


doesn’t matter, think again”


Balancing good hygiene with environ-
mental concerns is very much part of the
zeitgeist, given the problems that come
with plastics, microplastics and palm oil,
for example. Research shows that many
young people are now changing their
grooming habits. A YouGov survey of 18-
to 24-year-old Americans shows that near-
ly 40 per cent no longer use deodorants or
antiperspirants.

Hygiene services company Initial recent-
ly launched an innovative, if slightly Big
Brother-style product: HygieneConnect.
Sensors are put in workplace washrooms
to give managers and employees anon-
ymous data about hand-washing rates.
The idea, which has proved successful
in trials, is to “nudge” workers to acquire
better habits. John Wesley would surely
approve.
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