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Welcome to InTheNews – covering all the FM news you may have missed over the week:
Business leaders have branded the Government’s lack of interest in adopting the findings of a recent Covid-19 learnings report which called for cleaning and hygiene to be made a national priority ‘arguably reckless’ and ‘inexplicable’.
The trade bodies representing one of the UK’s ten biggest industries have united to launch a campaign for the recommendations of the report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry to be adopted in full.
The British Cleaning Council (BCC), which represents the £59bn cleaning, hygiene and waste industry, is being backed by 22 trade associations covering the entire sector to support the report entitled ‘Embedding Effective Hygiene for a Resilient UK’. The report is also supported by The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
Chairman of the BCC, Jim Melvin, said: “It is inexplicable and arguably reckless that the Government does not appear to have any interest in the cleaning and hygiene industry as this vital report, if adopted, could help to save lives in the future. It is time for the Government to sit up and take notice.
“These are sensible recommendations based on the advice of industry and public health experts that together will ensure the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of cleaning and hygiene are learnt for the benefit of UK citizens.”
AXA released the third edition of its Mind Health Report, a study aimed at identifying mental health and wellness issues in society in order to build solutions to mitigate them. The study was conducted in collaboration with IPSOS involving surveys of 30,000 people aged 18 to 74 from sixteen European, Asian and American countries and territories.
Over the past year, the rate of participants with poor mental health has decreased by 3 points (13% compared to 16%), despite the difficult geopolitical and economic context.
Antimo Perretta, Chief Executive Officer Europe and Latin America, said: “Despite Covid-19, geopolitical tensions and inflation, the mental health of the people surveyed is gradually improving, particularly as a result of preventive measures taken by companies.”
EMCOR UK, has switched to using Polyflex Eco gloves, made from recycled plastic, at British Sugar sites where it provides FM services.
The standard gloves are made from recycled plastic – using one 500ml plastic bottle for each pair of gloves – and conform to global standards. Each pair of gloves contains 10 gr of recycled plastic bottles (PET) cutting down the reliance on virgin materials like oil-based polyester.
Steve Thomson, Account Director at EMCOR UK, said: “We were delighted with the trial of Polyflex ECO gloves as not only are they durable, comfortable and more sustainable but they are also no more expensive than the standard gloves we previously used at that site.”
Sodexo UK & Ireland has announced it is equalising and enhancing its maternity, adoption and paternity paid leave benefits for its salaried and frontline employees to provide time, flexibility and financial support for important life moments.
These changes are part of a range of improvements Sodexo is introducing as part of its ambition to offer a flexible first culture to help all its employees, and not just those with caring responsibilities, to balance work and personal commitments in a way that suits them.
The new enhanced benefits, many of which become available on the first day of employment, will see maternity, adoption and paternity pay and leave equalised to offer all employees with the equivalent of 18 weeks full pay.
You can find out more on news.fmbusinessdaily.com
