In a pivotal move on April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) shook up the landscape with its finalized rule, signaling a substantial shift in compensation thresholds for exempt employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). With over four million employees slated to be affected by these changes, it’s crucial for those overseeing or procuring commercial cleaning services to be in the know. The Current LandscapeUnder the current regulations, employees must meet three criteria to qualify as exempt from overtime pay under the FLSA’s executive, administrative, or professional exemptions: • Fulfill specific white-collar job duties, a…

4 Ways to Know You Are Dealing With A Professionally Run Janitorial Company The choice of where a company purchases its cleaning supplies might seem like an insignificant detail. However, it may also be an indicator of the professionalism and quality of service you are receiving from your current vendor or expect to receive from a future service provider. Where a company sources its supplies is just the tip of the iceberg of what differentiates professionally run commercial janitorial companies from their counterparts.   Customer-Centric Service Delivery Model A professionally run janitorial company listens to its customers and designs services…

Maintaining cleanliness within your facility while managing budget constraints can be a challenging task. As a facility manager, you’re tasked with navigating the subjective nature of cleanliness expectations while ensuring that your cleaning budget remains intact. To help you manage this dilemma effectively, here are five practical steps to follow: Step 1: Define a Comprehensive Scope of Work Start by creating a detailed scope of work that outlines the specific cleaning tasks needed to achieve your cleanliness goals. Consider factors such as the size of your facility, high-traffic areas, and any specialized cleaning requirements. Clearly defining your expectations will provide…

Decoding the Janitorial Workforce Puzzle: Trends Impacting Hiring In today’s labor market, companies across diverse industries are grappling with an acute shortage of workers to fill available job positions. Despite positive indicators in certain sectors, the janitorial industry and other low-wage sectors continue to grapple with the repercussions of pandemic-induced labor shortages. In this article, we delve into three key factors contributing to the persistent challenges in finding and retaining janitorial workers.   Factor #1 – The Great Reshuffle The much-discussed “Great Resignation” witnessed an exodus of over 50 million workers in 2022 and nearly 48 million the previous year.…

In the often-overlooked world of janitorial services, how much janitors get paid holds more significance than meets the eye. Beyond simple curiosity, understanding janitorial compensation becomes an important consideration for businesses, influencing the quality of service, employee satisfaction, and the overall success of your chosen cleaning service. Let’s uncover the importance behind those paychecks and appreciate their impact on our workplaces. Understanding the Numbers: Insights from BLS According to the latest data (May 2022) from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), just over 2.1 million janitors/cleaners are employed in the United States. The median annual wage for janitors and…

Estimating the daily work hours on a proposal is vital to the overall price of the proposal. Daily work hours are the calculation of how many hours it will take to clean a facility and fulfilling the scope of work. If the daily works hours are calculated incorrectly the performance of the vendor is guaranteed to be inconsistent. If the daily work hours are miscalculated, this will create a final price which is also miscalculated. Alternatively, if the daily work hours are calculated correctly, the service will be consistent and reliable. There are several elements that affect the calculation of…

Finding a reliable commercial cleaning company can be a challenge.  A quick Google search for “Commercial Cleaning Companies” yields a hodgepodge of results.  Many the search engine results are not actually cleaning companies.  For example, some are simply marketing companies posing as cleaning companies.  Examples are Vanguard, Executive Cleaning Services, and Jensen Brothers.  These companies do not provide cleaning services – they simply gather your information and find a subcontractor.  Other search engine results will be things like Yelp, Bark, Home Advisor, etc.  So, it can be a challenge to simply find a REAL commercial cleaning service. But, once you…