A day in the life of Elaine McGrath

Elaine McGrath, Operations Manager, Scotland, Peartree Cleaning Services, joins Premises & Facilities Management for a ‘day in the life’ piece.

What time do you start your day?

This can vary depending on the needs of my clients and my team of cleaners. Some days I leave at 6am to carry out early morning audits with clients, while on other days I start in the early afternoon so I can catch up with teams who work later, sometimes up to 10pm.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are ever the same, which I love. I am definitely not suited to sitting in one office for eight hours a day. I spend a lot of time driving between different client sites. One day I might be auditing with clients, the next I could be training staff or looking for potential business opportunities. It really varies. I have worked in the cleaning industry for over 20 years, starting as a cleaner and working my way up to the role I am in now, which I really enjoy.

How do you organise your work on a daily basis?

I always try to organise my diary a few weeks in advance, as I like to let my clients know when I will be at their site. However, it does not always work out that way. Things can come up unexpectedly and I may need to be on a particular site at short notice. That said, I have a great team and we all work really well together, which makes a huge difference.

What do you usually do for lunch?

It varies. If I know I will be driving a lot, I will take a packed lunch and some fruit. Some of the offices I visit have restaurants, so I sometimes buy lunch there. Years ago I had a bad habit of stopping for service station meal deals, but that was not great for my waistline or bank balance!

What are the hardest and best parts of your job?

The best part of my job is not being in one place all the time. I enjoy travelling to different offices across Scotland, and I also look after Belfast, which makes for a nice change of scenery. The hardest part is dealing with traffic, which can be frustrating, but I try to plan my travel to avoid rush hour where possible.

Are you happy with your work life balance?

I am really happy with my work life balance. I can plan my diary around the needs of the business and my home life. I still have two girls at home, so I am their personal taxi service! Peartree is a very family orientated company and understands the importance of balance. I know I can always go to my Director for support, which makes a big difference.

What do you do to relax?

I don’t have a huge amount of time to relax as I have a full-time job and am always busy with my girls’ activities. However, I enjoy spending time with my family, whether that is going out for meals, to the cinema, or bowling.