Newsbrief: Janitors are fighting for our safety, but who is fighting for theirs?  

by Lily Collins

(Photo: Andrew Harrar/Bloomberg News)

The risk of contracting coronavirus is rising in the United States, but the risk is even higher for janitors who are working on the front lines of this pandemic, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Janitors are at a higher risk of exposure to the coronavirus due to the fact that they are cleaning areas that are exposed to hundreds of people a day. Offices, toilets and kitchens are few of the many surfaces that janitors clean on an hourly basis after being used.

Even though janitors are at a greater risk of contracting the virus, many do not receive paid sick days. Not only do they lack paid sick days, but they are some of the lowest-paid workers in the United States.

Janitorial companies are seeing an influx of job requests since the outbreak of the virus. Many of which have been to clean beyond what is stated in their contracts. Extra precautionary measures are expected during this time, but the janitors who are doing the extra work are not receiving extra pay due to the existing cleaning contracts.

ServiceChannel, a provider that assists large companies in ordering maintenance services, says that requesting cleaning services that exceed the contracts should also include a higher price.

Janitors are cleaning rigorously across the country to keep us safe and prevent further spreading of coronavirus while being underpaid and at a higher contraction risk.

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Lily Collins volunteered to write this news brief out of the belief that FPU students deserve good journalism in this time of crisis.