Posted on: April 19, 2019 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

There are a lot of different factors that contribute to the productivity of a business, and many of them are related to employees and their welfare. Workers in an office need to be in the right frame of mind to be able to give their best, and this comes from having a stable, sufficient income and a safe and secure work environment. Here are six different ways in which you can ensure that your employees feel safe working in your office.

1. Install Bright Lighting and CCTV Cameras That Have No Blind Spots

The prospect of getting caught is probably one of the biggest deterrents to crime, and you will need to take measures to make sure that if something happened, the perpetrator would be caught immediately. Install CCTV cameras in every nook and corner of your workspace and accompany them with extra bright lights that illuminate the space enough to deny would-be perpetrators a hiding space. These measures will show any potential perpetrators that funny business in your place of work is not a good idea, and that will make them take a step back. Prevention is better than cure, right?

2. Do Not Neglect the Parking Lot

The parking lot is one of the most vulnerable places in your office building (yes, the parking lot is a part of your building too, even if you don’t work in it!) and since it is usually dimly lit and mostly isolated, it attracts all kinds of trouble. Make sure you cover all your bases and hire security to patrol the parking lot at all times as well.

3. Teach All Your Employees Some Basic Self Defense

Your employees do not need to be self-defense experts who can fend for themselves expertly in the absence of security, but basic knowledge of self-defense will help them respond appropriately in the face of a complication. Conduct workshops to teach your employees how to act when certain situations occur and let them know how to use the various security tools that are available. For instance, telling how to use the panic button for business will be useful.

4. Keep A Check on All Your Employees

Not all dangers come from the outside; sometimes, the office will need to be protected from the very employees you hire. Disgruntled employees are capable of doing a lot of harm, so make sure you conduct thorough background checks on each employee before hiring them and giving them responsibility over any sensitive objects or information. Background checks can take considerable time and resources, so it’s understandable why some companies don’t want to go through this process. Third-party background checkers such as Instant Record Check now help employers in Canada do background checks on candidates more efficiently and cost-effectively.

5. Keep Updating

Perpetrators are constantly looking for chinks in your armor so that they can exploit them when in need. To counter this, you will need to keep updating your security system every once in a while, to get rid of those chinks and strengthen the protective forces at your workplace. Upgrading your security at least once in a year is advised by many law enforcement officials and keeping your mind open to suggestions from your workers is also a good idea.

6. Be Strict Against Workplace Harassment and Bullying

As mentioned earlier, the forces you are fighting against are not always from the outside; your workers may feel threatened by the very colleagues they are supposed to be working with. Workplace bullying and harassment are unfortunately very common. Having a strict policy in place against these as well as encouraging your employees to come forward and talk about their difficulties in a safe and discrete space will ensure that your workers feel safe in their work environment. For even better results, you may want to consider training your managers to respond appropriately when such cases are brought before them.

The process of creating a safe space starts with evaluating the risks that are directly threatening you in your individual case. Feel free to ask your local crime prevention officers for advice on creating a safe space to work. They will be well-equipped to tell you about the immediate threats you are faced with, and the best ways to tackle them.

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