Every HR manager knows the frustration: one employee comes in with a cold, and suddenly half the department is calling in sick. For a 200-person financial services firm in Midtown Manhattan, this pattern was costing real money and real productivity. Here is how they fixed it.

Case Study Snapshot

Company: Financial services firm in Midtown Manhattan

Size: 200 employees, 30,000 square feet

Challenge: Chronic illness outbreaks draining productivity

Solution: Specialized high-touch surface sanitization protocol

Results: 30% reduction in sick days, $180K estimated annual savings

The Sick Day Problem That Would Not Go Away

This Manhattan company had tried everything to stop illness from spreading through their open-plan office. Hand sanitizer at every desk. Email reminders about staying home when sick. Air purifiers running constantly. None of it made a difference.

The problem was not employee behavior. The problem was their environment. Their cleaning company kept the office looking presentable, but looking clean and being hygienic are two different things. Every day, 200 people touched the same door handles, pushed the same elevator buttons, and used the same coffee machines. Germs spread invisibly from surface to surface, person to person.

The company calculated their losses: at $600 per sick day in direct productivity costs, plus the cascading effects of missed deadlines and understaffed teams, illness was costing them hundreds of thousands annually.

The Specialized Cleaning Approach That Made the Difference

When this company switched to our office cleaning services, we did not just take over their existing routine. We redesigned their cleaning program around one goal: stopping illness transmission at the source.

Nightly Sanitization of Every High-Touch Surface

Our team sanitizes every surface that multiple people touch daily. Door handles, elevator controls, light switches, conference room equipment, printer touchscreens, kitchen appliances, restroom fixtures. We use EPA-registered disinfectants and observe proper contact times so the products actually kill pathogens instead of just pushing them around.

Restrooms and Kitchens as Priority Zones

These high-traffic spaces get extra attention. Thorough sanitization of all touch points, proper sink and counter cleaning, and guaranteed restocking of soap and supplies. Nothing undermines office hygiene faster than an empty soap dispenser.

Rapid Response for Outbreaks

When the company identifies illness spreading, we provide enhanced cleaning immediately. Increased sanitization frequency, special attention to affected areas, quick containment before one case becomes twenty.

Measurable Results: 30% Fewer Sick Days

After implementing our specialized cleaning regimen, this Manhattan office tracked their sick day data carefully. The results after one year:

Total sick days dropped 30% compared to the previous year. The improvement was most dramatic during flu season, when they historically saw their worst absenteeism. The pattern of illness cascading through departments became much less common.

Using their cost calculations, they estimated $180,000 in recovered productivity. That figure does not include the harder-to-measure benefits: fewer missed deadlines, better team continuity, and the peace of mind that comes from a workplace that supports employee health instead of undermining it.

Employee satisfaction surveys showed improved confidence in the workplace environment. In an era when people pay attention to hygiene, knowing your employer invests in keeping you healthy matters.

Why Regular Cleaning Was Not Enough

Their previous cleaning company was not incompetent. They kept the office visually clean. But visual cleanliness and actual hygiene are different objectives requiring different approaches.

Standard janitorial services focus on appearance: vacuuming visible dirt, emptying trash, wiping obvious spills. Germ transmission happens on surfaces that look perfectly clean. A door handle can host cold viruses for 18 hours while appearing spotless.

Effective sanitization requires trained staff, proper products, correct techniques, and the time to do it right. When cleaning crews are paid minimum wage and rushing through spaces, systematic sanitization simply does not happen. Our teams are trained specifically on disease prevention protocols, compensated fairly so they stay long-term, and held accountable for health outcomes.

Stop Illness from Spreading Through Your Manhattan Office

If your company loses productivity every cold and flu season to predictable illness outbreaks, your cleaning program may be the missing piece. Professional sanitization protocols can interrupt disease transmission and deliver measurable health improvements.

Get a Free Quote to see how our specialized office cleaning can help your Manhattan business reduce sick days and protect employee health.