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Home Cleanings as a Pre-Tax Employee Benefit

By Paula Fiuza
May 10, 2022

“The Great Resignation”, “The Great Reshuffle”, and many others: no matter the name, millions of American workers are quitting their jobs, looking for different positions, more flexible opportunities, and having a work-life balance. Companies are betting on perks to retain and attract talent during these times, and home cleanings are a pre-tax employee benefit that not many consider.

Here’s why your company should. 

The world has changed for good

Research shows that more than 48 million people have quit their jobs so far, and there’s no sign of that movement slowing down. A report by LinkedIn shows that 63% of employees have work-life balance as their number one priority, while 60% said they look at the benefits offered, on top of the compensation, when choosing a new job. 

That means companies have been scrambling to find new ways to attract and retain talent, trying to be creative in their approach while still being able to profit. Much has been said about four-day workweeks, “work from anywhere” culture, paid sabbaticals, schedule flexibility, and more than just healthcare as benefits. 

Working from anywhere, at any time, might not be doable for particular industries and jobs, but for those who can implement it, it looks like there’s no way back. And when the home and the office meet, some problems arise. 

The toll of the work-from-home scenario

It’s all bells and whistles when it comes to working from home. At least it seems to be, right? The perfect set-up, no commuting, no expensive (but not that great) lunches, no traffic-induced stress or the need to dress up, for that matter. 

The pandemic brought a new reality to millions of workers worldwide, and some have jumped in headfirst. They absolutely love it and wouldn’t change it for the world. Hence the 48 million of them that have quit their jobs because companies wanted to go back to office work. 

But that’s not the reality for all. 

It has been reported constantly that women, especially, have suffered tremendously during the work from home mode. They are more stressed, work more hours, carry the majority of the domestic chores burden, and even drink more. 

When that’s the reality, the “anywhere office” doesn’t sound so good, does it?

Organization and cleanliness linked to happiness and productivity

Several studies have shown that humans need organization and cleanliness to be productive. Something about the human brain works better when its environment is tidy.  Even a Princeton study proved clutter has a way of limiting the brain’s ability to process information. 

Clutter also increases cortisol levels, directly related to stress – the US spends U$190 billion yearly on health conditions caused by stress. It might seem farfetched, but our environment plays a massive part in our happiness, productivity, and overall wellbeing. 

Procrastination is more common among those who live in a cluttered space, and so is binge-watching TV, eating junk food, and even showing neurotic behaviors. This article from Harvard Business Review lists other adverse effects that an untidy space can have on people. 

Home Cleanings as a Pre-Tax Employee Benefit 

If this is the dire scenario workers face, what can be done? It's essential to care for their work environment just as much as offering four-day workweeks and fun perks and surprises. Some companies have realized that offering home cleanings as an employee benefit may be the perfect solution for it. 

If people spend hours every week having to cater to their space, why not remove that burden? Especially in a context where those hours are pilling up and could be spent performing activities to improve mental health and productivity levels. 

Just like you can clean your office as a janitorial expense, you can do the same thing for your remote or hybrid workers. By cleaning their remote workspaces, you can typically classify it as a janitorial expense. Employees will consider it to be a huge benefit, but it's classified as a janitorial expenses, which are 100% deductible to the company and tax-free for the employees, as well. 

For in-office workers, home cleanings can typically be offered as a fringe benefit, susceptible to tax on the employee side. Either or, TIDY can help you in setting up a process that works best for your company and team. Talk to an expert now! 

*Note: TIDY does not offer tax advice, talk to your professional about your exact use case.

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