Concerned about how the workers cleaning your building are being treated? Learn how the cleaning industry in Oregon has evolved under the Property Service Worker Protection Act.
Cleansolution is a licensed janitorial company with the state of Oregon. We protect our workers from abuse and exploitation. Under the Property Service Worker Protection Act, janitorial companies are required to obtain a license from the state of Oregon and adhere to stricter regulations designed to prevent sexual assault, abuse and unfair labor practices. This law also holds both the janitorial company AND their customers responsible for violations.
The problem:
Prior to the passage of Oregon’s Property Service Worker Protection Act of 2017 (HB 3279), there was a pattern of unethical and illegal practices in some commercial cleaning companies. In particular, reports emerged that some janitorial companies were taking advantage of their employees though unfair wage schemes. They were also refusing to properly address dangerous working conditions and subjecting workers to discrimination and sexual harassment. The problem was especially prevalent in companies that employed non-English speakers and recent immigrants to the United States.
In 2017, janitorial workers and advocates worked with the Oregon State legislature to draft a new law. It would protect janitorial workers and hold both the cleaning companies and their customers responsible for violations.
The solution:
The Property Service Worker Protection Act included several key requirements. Under this law, all janitorial and commercial cleaning companies must:
- Obtain a Property Services Contractor License from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.
- Provide employee training to prevent sexual harassment, assault and discrimination.
- Require any subcontractors with employees to be licensed as well.
These rules work together to ensure that cleaning companies are held accountable for the actions of their own employees and subcontractors that they partner with.
In addition, any business that employs an unlicensed cleaning company can be held legally and financially responsible for violations.
Protect your business from fines and legal liability. Make sure that the commercial cleaning company you choose is a licensed janitorial company in Oregon and has a Property Services Contractor License.
Oregon’s law protects janitorial workers from abuse
Cleansolution cares deeply about the workers in our industry because their story is our story. Our founder, Boris Barrios came to the U.S. as a political refugee, fleeing civil war in El Salvador. He took a job as an entry-level cleaner and worked to establish a new life for his family. After years of hard work, he and his wife, Marta, founded Cleansolution with the dream of building a company that would help others succeed. Read our story.
We applaud efforts made by our elected officials to protect Oregon’s janitorial workers and hold employers responsible for labor violations and unsafe working conditions.
We’re committed to fair labor practices & workplace safety
Our high standards and excellent reputation has earned the trust of clients in highly-regulated industries like healthcare and data management, where security and policy compliance are the top priority. We’ve also worked with nationally-recognized brands like Microsoft and Keen. These long-standing relationships are the result of our commitment to honesty and transparency in how we treat our employees and our customers.
Cleansolution maintains a library of janitorial training resources to help educate our employees, Collective partners and customers. Topics include how to maintain a safe work environment and prevent sexual harassment and abuse. We’ve also demonstrated our commitment to paying fair wages to our employees, while reducing costs for our customers.
Make sure you’re working with a cleaning company you trust
Schedule a consultation with us today and experience the Cleansolution difference!