What to do if. . .

• You Find Money: If it's a few cents, put it on the nearest desk or table. If it's $5, $10 or more, put it in an envelope (if possible) with a note as to where it was found and leave it on the Receptionist desk.



• You Break Something: First clean it up, and then leave a note. ("I accidentally broke the _____ while dusting. Please call XYZ Company at 555-0123 so we can replace it,") . Then call your supervisor so they know what happened. If you own up to it right away, often-times people say "Oh, don't worry about it". Plus, they appreciate your honesty.



• You Get Locked Out: You set your keys down and get locked out of an office. Call your supervisor or someone with a key. Remember, ALWAYS keep the keys on you at all times - never set them down.



• You Find Something Personal Left Out: If you put it away, be sure to leave a note saying . . . "Found your wallet lying on the desk while cleaning, locked it in the Janitor Closet." If you find something and there's no place to put it safely, put it in a clean sack and lock it in the Janitor Closet; then call your supervisor so they can let the client know that the cleaning company has it. Whatever you do, don't take it out of the building.



• You Are Tempted by Something Put in the Trash: Resist temptation. Your job is to take out the trash, not remove things from the trash for your own use. If someone sees you removing something from the building without knowing it was trash, conclusions might be drawn negative to your integrity and that of the company.



• You Witness or Know of Thievery Taking Place on the Job: The bottom line here is that you're not helping the thieves, your company, or yourself by looking the other way and ignoring stealing of any kind. Stealing is wrong - report it.



• You Become Aware of Drug or Alcohol Use on the Job: Always report drug or alcohol violations, because they affect the safety and security of the entire building, as well as fellow workers.



• You Have More Work or Assignments Than You Can Handle: Make sure you really do have more than you can handle before presenting the dilemma to the boss - at some point, the boss has done your job and knows what can be accomplished in the time allowed. First try to figure out what solution would take care of it and go to the boss with your suggestion. Perhaps you need a different type of vacuum, or maybe a switch in the schedule might alleviate the problem.



• You Have Extra Time: 1. Do some detail cleaning (high dusting, detail vacuuming, wipe phones and light switches, baseboards, etc.). 2. Clean up the Janitor Closet. 3. Clean up the mop bucket, brute, caddy, vacuum, spray bottles.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!