What the Return-to-Office Trend Means for BSCs

My husband works for the Department of Labor, and he was recently notified that as of Dec. 1, 2024, he would be required to report to the office five days every pay period — an increase from the two days he's required now. Edicts like these seem to be spreading as corporate executives tout better collaboration, culture, brainstorming, and productivity stemming from in-office togetherness. 

Amazon, Disney, JPMorgan, Starbucks, Dell, X and Zoom are just a few of the business titans currently making headlines for their efforts to scale back remote work in favor of face-to-face hours inside a traditional office. 

Experts predict that smaller organizations will be motivated to follow the mandates of these higher-profile companies. According to October 2024 reports from Flex Index, 33 percent of employers currently require full-time in-office work. That number is expected to rise in 2025 but isn't predicted to exceed 50 percent.  

What does this mean for building service contractors? It means even more flexibility and customization.  

Most BSCs have already tackled the standard post-COVID recommendations: enhanced hygiene protocols, shift to eco-friendly products, tending to high-touch points, increased visibility of cleaning, etc. Moving forward, the changing work environment will require even more tailored programs, not to mention an increase in cleaning frequency. 

In a post-COVID environment, hoping to make return-to-office more appealing to staff, businesses have redesigned spaces to feature more modular workstations and flexible/adaptable meeting rooms that emphasize collaboration. This means the introduction of more fabrics, surfaces, and flooring types that cleaning crews must add to their tasks. Looking for an open concept, many businesses have also added glass walls, introducing vertical spaces that will require cleaning.  

Property managers are also increasingly incorporating touchless features such as automatic doors, voice-activated elevators, and motion-sensor lighting to reduce touchpoints. The goal is to minimize germ transmission, which is also why offices continue to prioritize hand sanitizing stands and communal-use disinfectant wipes, which help with interim cleaning but add to stocking frequencies. 

These return-to-office changes will require re-evaluating cleaning specs and frequencies, as well as their associated costs, which could lead to some difficult conversations with customers. But overall, the return to the office signals growth opportunities for cleaning businesses, especially those that can offer flexible, high-quality, and specialized cleaning services.