If you work in an office you may be familiar with the term “Clean Desk Policy” (CDP). CDPs are used by companies to indicate to employees how they should leave their work space at the end of the day.
For the neat freaks among us, keeping a tidy work station is simply second nature. But naturally messy people (myself included!) often struggle to maintain order among piles of paper and empty crisp wrappers that threaten to take over their desk.
However, no matter how much it may go against your instincts, keeping an ordered work can actually be a positive step. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should clean your desk- and keep it clean!
More efficient
Cluttered work stations can often prevent you from locating what you need exactly when you need it. If you are spending hours every day trying to find essential documents or files then you are probably not maximizing your time. Introducing a simple filing system will allow you to increase your levels of efficiency. The old saying says “a messy desk means a messy mind”, and cleaning your desk may just be the boost you need to give your productivity a boost.
No fire hazard
Your piles of paper and empty cans may not be a fire hazard, but those overloaded plugs and cables surrounding your desk certainly will be. Cleaning your desk does not just mean organizing your files; it should also involve checking your electrical equipment for safety. Employers may want to consider a PAT test for all the portable appliances in the office- this includes a visual inspection and manual check by a qualified PAT tester to make sure all equipment with a plug is not a potential hazard. And if you find yourself plugging extension cables on other extension cables, you need to rethink the layout of your work station to protect yourself and others from harm in the future.
Make the right impression
Regardless of whether you are in a client facing role or not, you should certainly consider the impression that your messy desk is giving out. Your colleagues and your boss may not mention your chaotic work space, but you can guarantee that they will have noticed. You may well work just as efficiently in a mess as you do a tidy environment, but unfortunately the people around you may not be convinced of this fact. Tidying up will make you look more professional, and you could notice a difference in your customer and working relationships too.
Confidential data stays secure
You may not work in a high security office, but every business has information that they would rather not share with the public or competitors. Having a messy desk means that company data can quite easily get lost or misplaced, and end up in the wrong hands. By tidying up at the end of each day you can ensure that confidential papers are shredded and destroyed, or passed on to the appropriate contact. That way, if any information does go awry you will be certain that your untidy desk had nothing to do with it.
Environmental impact
Many businesses are starting to become concerned about their impact on the environment, and you yourself probably make the effort to recycle at home. Instead of leaving those redundant bits of paper lying around on your desk, you could make the effort to put them in a recycling bin or get them shredded. And the same applies to other recyclable goods too, like wrappers, plastic bottles and even old batteries. Keeping a tidy desk will not just benefit you- it can also have a great impact on our world as well.
Chloe is an English Literature graduate with a love for words, and finds this a useful skill to have when writing about PHS Compliance. Chloe also enjoys keeping fit by going on runs and dancing in her free time.