National Custodian Day gives companies the opportunity to appreciate the custodians who work hard to keep facilities clean, hygienic, and maintained – and although its official date is October 2, it should be a year-round practice.
As National Custodian Day celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, National Today offers three reasons to honour your custodial team:
It gives us a chance to show our appreciation: Being a custodian can be a thankless job. That’s why it’s important to take the time to show your appreciation to the custodians you know.
It encourages us to be a little cleaner: When we stop and think about the person who will come and clean up the mess we make, there’s a good chance we’ll me mindful of that mess and tidy up after ourselves.
It reminds us to pay attention to the little things: Being grateful for stocked restrooms is often taken for granted, but here’s a chance to remember to appreciate these little details.
Cleaners often visit during off-hours, when offices and buildings are empty, and that means it can be hard to show appreciation or even become aware of frustrations in the job. Here are some of the challenges many cleaners face while at work:
- Old or outdated equipment makes more work for your teams. Equipment like cotton string mops are 80 per cent heavier than others when saturated, so consider switching out some of your equipment or tools for easier, more efficient use.
- Labour shortages can leave custodians feeling burnt out and missing work-life balance. Today’s tools, improved practices, expert labour allocation, and flexible scheduling can help better distribute the workload and provide a better work-life experience.
In the spirit of celebration, National Today suggests a few activities that can help show how much you value your custodians and their work:
Do something nice: Bake a cake, grab a gift card, or write a thank-you card in a simple gesture that shows you see them and their efforts.
Commend your custodian to their supervisor: Contact their supervisor and let them know how much you appreciate your custodian’s hard work. This can even help them earn company rewards or provide an opportunity for growth within the company.
Organize an office event: Bonus points if you can turn the festivities into a surprise as the custodians walk into the event. Consider a potluck, game day, or any other fun festivities you can think of.
Keeping your janitorial or cleaning staff supported and appreciated all year contributes to happier staff, increased productivity, and a positive company culture.
