Workers to Employers: Clean Up the Office Environment, Or We're Out
One in three office workers see dirty shared spaces as a problem, and more than four in 10 say the office environment prompts them to consider leaving their employer.
Doylestown, PA
Many workers who are again filling offices now that fall has arrived are ringing the alarm bell for their employers: Not only are shared spaces ranging from desks to kitchens to bathrooms unacceptable, but their perceived lack of cleanliness prompts them to consider quitting.
The findings are from the Invisible Sun Fall 2026 Back-to-the-Office Index™, the results of which the company has released today. Fall marks a “back-to-business mindset” for many workers after summer vacations are over and school is back in session, resulting in one of the year's busiest times for offices, according to The Hub, a Miami-based co-working space.
- One in three office workers see dirty shared spaces as a problem.
- Nearly six out of 10 office workers (58.3%) say the office environment negatively impacts their desire to go to the office.
- Nearly half of office workers (48.3%) say that the office environment negatively impacts their perception of their employer.
- More than four in 10 office workers (40.7%) say the office environment prompts them to consider leaving their employer.
“The message from office workers is clear: Clean up the shared spaces, or we're either going back to working from home or leaving the company altogether.”
The new imperative for building owners
Invisible Sun launched in September the Invisible Sun Contactless FM Value Calculator, which enables building owners to improve cleaning compliance and thus increase productivity and lower operating costs for their third-biggest maintenance and operations line item.
The new calculator enables building owners and janitorial companies to input their current operational data including labor costs, staffing levels, service schedules and compliance rates to calculate the potential savings they could achieve by implementing Invisible Sun's proof of presence solution.
Proof-of-presence technology directly addresses one of the most vexing responsibilities of building owners post-Covid-19: Ensuring the office environment is clean. Value of Clean® research from The Association for Cleaning & Facilities Solutions shows office buildings that earn top-quartile cleaning satisfaction rates can increase tenant retention by up to 25 percent.
“Ensuring the office environment is clean is an increasingly critical business imperative for building owners because it reduces complaints from tenants. Keeping tenants happy is more important than ever for business owners as they battle to keep vacancy rates in check.”
“Our new application answers the key question around deploying this type of technology. How much will this save us? We know the answer will be very compelling.”
Invisible Sun 2026 Back-to-the-Office Index
The Invisible Sun 2026 Fall Back-to-the-Office Index surveyed 646 workers across the U.S. in August and September 2026. The survey is statistically significant, with a +/- 5% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
The Invisible Sun 2026 Fall Back-to-the-Office Index surveyed 646 workers across the U.S. in August and September 2026. The survey is statistically significant, with a ±5% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
Headquartered in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Invisible Sun Technology connects soft FM service delivery with workspace management, helping organizations verify work, respond to actual building usage, improve cleaning quality and simplify the hybrid workplace through Contactless Facility Management. For more information visit invisiblesun.us.