Green Premiums for Janitorial Business
Since the “Orange Era” when citric cleaning products were first introduced to the public, there has been a stubborn mindset that environmentally-friendly products were more costly and less effective. This was true, but things have changed over the last ten to twenty years. Going Green is generally more expensive, but that cost is estimated at about 2-4% more expense when taken over the whole project. Fortunately, the new “Green Era” products are actually as good as or better than the conventional product used for cleaning.
There are, however, other factors that should be added into the cost analysis for any facility, and I refer to them as the Green Premium because these are the other factors that go beyond the standard expectation of a clean building. When we are dealing with the Green issue, the primary emphasis is on health, and health costs are a subtle financial issues for any company.
We are finally learning that traditional cleaning products are harmful to the workers using them, but to everyone who works in the office. Constant and routine exposure to secondary levels of perilous chemicals will have an affect on your employees. Therefore, changing the cleaning products in your business and working with a Green janitorial firm can be a financially-smart decision.
Absenteeism is always a cost factor because the employees make business (and revenue) happen for the company. Health costs might be a concern for the insurance company, but those costs are returned to the company’s bottom line through increased premiums. Part of the cost for health is paid in out-of-pocket expenses, but health costs are a massive expense item to any business. It makes sense that a healthier workforce will lead to superior health insurance rates.
While thinking about Green Premiums, think about the value of a more alert and productive workforce. We have all found ourselves in a situation where something triggers a headache, depressed feeling, or aggravation of a condition. It make by a powerful smell, second-hand smoke, or diesel exhaust. Your office can be filled with small detractors from worker productivity.
Think about the tax implications for sick people that exceed what you see in your company’s costs. The cost of caring for the sick and chronically ill person is also a burden to society. Even after these people are off our payroll, they continue to need medical care, and someone has top pay for that. There is also the concern for all the trash and waste we produce which must be handled by local, say, or federal governments. The invisible cost of all these things are seen in constantly increased taxes.
The 2 to 4% costs of taking a company to a Green status seems easily covered by the health costs, insurance premium, and tax savings that will be realized. The Green Premium is the items that go beyond a clean floor and sanitary lavatory, and has more profound reasons to validate the process.
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