Standing tall for World FM Day 2021

Today, 12th May, is World FM Day 2021 and this year’s theme is ‘Celebrating FM: standing tall beyond the pandemic’.

The purpose of World FM Day 2021 is to celebrate the vital work that goes on behind the scenes in our day-to-day lives to keep things ticking along. Never has that been more relevant and important than over the past year. FM employees have been cleaning and disinfecting shared spaces, improving and maintaining ventilation, securing spaces, ensuring safety precautions are followed, and otherwise working on the frontline to allow us to go about our lives during this difficult time.

We owe a great deal to the frontline workers who chose to come into work every day.

FM in the spotlight

The pandemic has raised the profile of many roles that were once carried out ‘behind the scenes’. FMs have shown dedication and expertise to clients, leading the changes that made their sites safe and usable. Emerging from the pandemic, we hope this newfound bond lasts. FMs have long been in a position to improve their clients’ work, making them safer, more productive, or more sustainable. FM provision shouldn’t be a race to the bottom. Rather, it is a means of raising the bar for any organisations.

The pandemic has altered priorities and our lives. From hybrid working to people escaping to the countryside, things will undoubtedly change. This is an opportunity to promote positive change. FM services shouldn’t be seen as a race to the bottom; expert providers create value for their clients. Operatives from cleaning staff and engineers to security officers should be seen as experts in what they do, and their health and wellbeing must be put first to keep all of us safe. The industry is standing tall despite more than a year of incredible challenges and that is something that needs to be celebrated.

Ellie Davis