Insurance coverage from one janitorial company to the next can vary significantly.  Sometimes, certain companies don’t require the same level of insurance, and sometimes they try to reduce their costs by avoiding certain coverage.  If the latter is the case, you probably don’t want to work with that company as it seems they are willing to cut costs indiscriminately, and this may ultimately reflect on the work they do.  Nevertheless, answering the question “are all janitorial companies insured” can be complicated, so let’s take a look instead at the types of coverage you should expect from your cleaning company?

Business Liability Insurance

When a janitor or one of their employees damages something in a client’s home or office, they need business liability insurance to cover it – or they’ll be out of pocket for the costs.  Minor damage is obviously not a major problem, but if your janitorial company accidentally breaks a computer or other major equipment, the costs can run into the thousands.  Can an uninsured janitorial company afford these costs?  Possibly not.  More importantly, the costs of lawsuits can far exceed the cost of damage, so you want to make sure your janitorial company has a valid business liability or general liability insurance plan.  These types of coverage also cover the costs of injury to a janitorial staff member while working at your office.

Property Insurance

Your company and your janitorial service provider probably have a lot of equipment and supplies that need to be protected.  On site, you may have office furniture, computers, chairs, phones, and other equipment.  Your janitor probably needs vacuums, cleaners, brushes, and dusters (to name a few), that you may or may not supply in order for your cleaning services to be properly completed.  Property insurance with a limit equal to the value of your office equipment will help you protect said equipment in case of damage.  In addition, this insurance should be structured such that your janitor can work in multiple sites (unless they are contracted to clean in your offices only).  You may want to get this insurance yourself, or insist that your janitorial company is also covered.

Building Coverage

Building coverage is important if you own the business where your office is located.  While it is unlikely that a janitor will have this coverage, building coverage protects you against damage from the elements including fire, tornado, hurricane, or storm.  However, your janitor will probably want to invest in business income and extra expense coverage which will cover income and equipment loss in case of problems like illness to the service provider or lost, damaged, or stolen equipment.  Anything that impacts the ability of the insured to earn income (providing that item was covered elsewhere in their insurance) will allow the service provider to recover lost income.  For example, if a janitorial company owner falls ill and cannot provide regular service, lost income would be covered.  In addition, if a fire occurs at a location and destroys all the janitor’s cleaning equipment, the cost of the equipment and any lost income would also be covered.

Ultimately, insurance helps protect the office manager/owner and ensure that cleaning services are provided with no unexpected costs to the office.  In addition, these insurance policies will ensure that the janitor can continue to work or receive income in case of an unexpected accident.  Not all janitorial companies are covered by all types of insurance, so it’s up to you to consider your needs and check that your janitor is covered appropriately.

The costs of janitorial services should be cut and dry, shouldn’t they?  You want particular things cleaned and you agree on a price for those services…it’s a piece of cake.  But then, you start working with your office maintenance company, and each month your bill isn’t what you expect.  You’re probably infuriated and feel ripped off, but you’ve also got a contract.  When you take a closer look at it, you finally notice the fine print, and there are a lot of hidden costs.

Indeed, depending on the professional cleaners you hire, there are a number of janitorial services for which they will charge extra.  Some maintenance companies indicate an hourly rate, and you might be under the impression that this rate covers all the cleaning costs, but you would be incorrect.  In fact, these companies need to cover their own operating costs such as insurance, employee-related costs (e.g. hiring, training, payroll, and equipment expenses), buying cleaner, and even supervision or inspection.  Plus, if you require specialized cleaning services such as required for certain equipment or machinery, shredding and disposal of sensitive documents, or 24-hour service from your cleaner, you should expect to pay more.

So what can you do to avoid hidden costs for janitorial services?  It’s fairly simple, you need to pay close attention to your cleaning contract.  You want to determine a fair rate that will include all of the cleaning services you need accomplished.  That being said, you also need to expect any add-ons or changes to your cleaning contract to impact the bottom line – there are not many companies willing to do more for less.

First and foremost, you need to make a list of all the cleaning tasks you want completed.  And you need to be thorough, i.e. check and double check your list.  Here is a typical list of services provided to the average office environment:

• Sweeping and cleaning all floors.
• Cleaning surfaces and windows (inside and out).
• Cleaning and restocking washrooms.
• Vacuuming and washing carpets.
• Dusting furniture and desks.
• Removing garbage and recycling.
• Cleaning break rooms including appliances, dishes, and sinks.
• Watering plants.
• Disinfecting office equipment including photocopiers, keyboards, and telephones.

This list may include all the cleaning services you require, or it may be too many or too few services.  Ultimately, you need to construct your own list to ensure your office will be kept in good shape.

In addition, you need to pay close attention to your janitorial company and the contract they provide.  Here are three tips that will help you avoid hidden costs:

1. Read through the entire service contract before you sign it.  Check to see if all the services you require have been included at a price you can afford.
2. Conduct some research on your janitorial service provider.  Check to see how long they have been in business and ask for references from current companies they service.  While you may get the same level of service from a start-up maintenance company as a well-established one, the piece of mind you’ll get from contacting references will help you determine whether you’re working with somebody who is going to nickel-and-dime you.
3. Never let a janitorial company strong-arm you into a service contract.  If you’re not getting the services you require at a reasonable price, look for a different maintenance company.