by Nina Collinson, National Sustainability Manager, Glad Group
With an ever-increasing focus on sustainability, the property services resources are critical to support the development of a comprehensive knowledge base in these industries.
Given the rise in expectations, in particular from cleaning and security services customers, to be adopting best in class sustainable business practices, there is a great desire to continue to learn and grow and seek new and innovative ways of doing things to drive positive environmental, social and governance outcomes.
For many of these organisations, this rise in expectations is welcomed. But it must also be remembered that adopting these practices and policy guidelines takes time, resources and comes at a cost. This cost applies increasing pressure on suppliers, and the demands of compliance to minimise compliance risk must be considered by our customers when seeking to engage our services.
It’s a simple equation: for a business to deliver great service in a sustainable way, they must be financially viable, and to do that they need to be receiving a fair price for the services provided. There must be balance between competitive pressures that enable cost-effective service solutions, fair margin, and the confidence that employees are paid in accordance with the fair work award applicable to the service. Sustainability initiatives must be sustainable – and the cost of compliance must be shared.