A ethical cleaning company has urged Christians who have a say in who cleans their building to ask questions before they re-hire cleaning staff for their office. 

Clean for Good, based in London, says if everyone asked the right questions it would put pressure on organisations who supply cleaners to pay a living wage and provide decent workers' rights. 

Questions to ask third party suppliers include asking whether the cleaning staff are paid the living wage, what the terms and conditions are on their sick pay and holiday pay and their employment status, such as whether they have fixed hours or if pay is dependent on the week's work. 

The Low Pay Commission estimated that one in five cleaners in the UK who were entitled to the Minimum Wage were actually being paid less. 

In a report written by Clean for Good, they highlight the risks that employers face when they outsource services. 

The report highlights the recent case of Emmanuel Gomes, an outsourced cleaner at the Ministry of Justice, who died shortly after a shift during Lockdown. His working conditions attracted national publicity and prompted a change of outsourcing policy by the Ministry. 

Tim Thorlby, managing director of Clean for Good, told Premier: "'Just by being a little bit more inquisitive, and by being a little bit more choosy about who we choose to give our money to, actually we can make a tremendous difference to the lives of millions of workers in this country."

The report sets out a six-point checklist for firms when considering outsourcing:

1.    Does the provider pay the Living Wage? 
2.    Does the provider directly employ their own staff? 
3.    Does the provider offer their staff Terms and Conditions above statutory minimums? 
4.    Does the provider invest resource and time in managing and training staff? 
5.    Does the provider operate to high environmental standards? 
6.    Has the provider put together its own ethical supply chain?