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Your employees spend upwards of eight hours a day at work. It’s their home away from home in a way. So, it’s vitally important that when they are there, they are made to feel safe and secure, just as they would within their own four walls. Sunday 28th April marks the World day for Health and Safety at Work so security systems provider, Expert Security UK, conducted a survey asking over 2,000 people the question ‘has your employer taken actions to ensure you feel safe in the workplace?’
- The results of the survey showed that only 1 in 3 people feel safe in their workplace due to steps taken by their employer.
- However, collectively 62% said that either their employers had taken some steps but that they still felt a little cautious, that no steps had been taken, and that they did not feel safe or otherwise a different feeling other than safe.
The results of the survey become especially interesting when they are broken down by gender. Just 14.2% of men surveyed said they felt ‘a little safe but still cautious’ and ‘not safe at all’, respectively. However, there is a clear divide between the genders, as the figures jump to 20% of women who still feel either cautious or not safe at all.
The results show that there is still work to be done to make sure that staff feel safe when they arrive and leave their place of work, and during business hours. And there are multiple ways to make this happen. Danny Scholfield, Managing Director at Expert Security UK has compiled his top tips when it comes to staff safety.
Car park
If your business has one, then your car park will be the first point of contact for your employees and customers, so it’s essential that it is secure. One of the best ways to deter crimes outside is by improving visibility, so that means ensuring that pathways, doorways and entrances are well illuminated. Eliminate as many shadowy areas as possible as these are ideal spots for attackers to hide. Consider installing emergency phone lines in easy to reach places; employees will feel safer knowing they can access help quickly and easily.
CCTV
Of course, one of the biggest deterrents when it comes to any criminal activity is CCTV. Knowing they are being watched and that any footage could be used to identify and prosecute them can be a powerful way to discourage people from acting maliciously. They can also be huge tools in helping staff members feel safe.
Start by installing good quality CCTV cameras at entrances, exits, gateways and doors. A poor quality camera may do the same in terms of acting as a deterrent, but in the event that you need to use the footage, it’s important that details can be seen clearly.
Your business premises
Your next step should be to protect the premises of your business. Where necessary and applicable, use gates and fences to secure potential entry points and ensure that you have strong locks and fob systems in place where only staff members can gain access. You could also consider installing motion detectors and alarms that not only sound locally but can alert the authorities if a breach is detected.
“has your employer taken actions to ensure you feel safe in the workplace?”
Online safety
In today’s online world, cybersecurity is also an incredibly important step to take when ensuring that your employees feel safe as so many threats now exist digitally. You might consider investing in a training course for your staff that goes over the basics of cybersecurity, such as phishing scams, how to tell the difference between secure and insecure connections, making sure downloads are safe from viruses, and using strong passwords.
Workplace harassment
It isn’t just outside threats that employers should be aware of. A great deal of harassment and bullying can go on inside the walls of your business, even if you don’t know about it. Even verbal bullying can create tension between staff members and, if left unchecked, it could escalate to physical violence.
Start by making strong policies against workplace harassment and bullying a top priority for your business’ security policy, whether that means writing new policies altogether or updating existing ones. Consider sending your management team to training seminars that focus on anti-bullying and equality in the workplace, as these are the people who often see problems first but don’t necessarily have the skills to tackle them. Make sure your final policies are communicated to all staff members so they are aware of them, know what to do in the event of an incident, and feel confident that you will support them.
If all five points are prioritised and actioned, it is a great starting point to ensuring your workforce are well looked after, feel safe and work happy, so that you don’t run the risk of having only 1 in 3 feel 100% safe.
