Career-obsession, workaholism, and burning out have been major ailments of the twenty-first century.
Offices now are furnished with beds for naps and entertainment rooms equipped with TVs and PlayStation!
As if to ingrain the idea in people’s minds that workplaces are where their waking hours are to be spent. Consequently, as employees spend more time at their workplaces than they do in their homes, the need to feel safe and secure is a valid concern.
With widespread incidents of workplace violence, employees need to be assured that their employer is concerned with their well-being as their most valuable asset.
It’s not only a matter of physical safety; emotional and mental well-being needs to be addressed as well. Abusive manager-employee relationships or discrimination based on race, sex, or religion are not to be tolerated and should be protected against.
There are a few measures to be taken in an attempt to make employees feel safe and secure at work.
Physical Safety
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Security Guards
Professional security services should be provided everywhere around offices. Entrances and exits need to be secured by armed guards, and handheld metal detector devices, in the event of any attempt of external intrusion.
These devices are aimed to achieve a quick security sweep efficiently. This is extremely important with banks and financial institutions that are highly susceptible to such dangers.
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Surveillance Systems
Surveillance cameras should be installed with the aim of looking out for staff security. However, a concern about invasion of privacy might rightfully surface; this is why employees should be involved in the decision process and made aware of where cameras are placed.
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Access Control Devices
These will regulate identity verification and ensure that only authorized personnel would have access to the workplace.
Worrying about submitting a work assignment before a deadline is the only thing an employee should worry about when staying late at the office, rather than questioning if it is safe or not.
Emotional & Mental Safety
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Anonymous Complaints System
Unfortunately, verbal abuse and sexual assault in the workplace are very common nowadays, especially with female employees. Luckily though, more women are speaking up and reporting the assaulters.
Employers should avail a trustworthy environment where all female and male employees feel safe enough to come forward with any complaints or concerns, without the fear of being passed on for an earned promotion or worse, losing their jobs.
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Empowered and Adamant HR department
One of the main functions of the Human Resources department is Employee Relations. This encompasses the well-being of the entity’s personnel, where they act on their behalf when needed. HR is responsible for fair and equal employee treatment throughout an organization, even if this is against management.
Abusive management that promotes fear-based leadership, and burdens staff with unnecessary mental distress, should be conclusively dealt with.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs identifies safety needs as a basis for proper human functionality. Employers should realize by now that treating people as mere capital is not how great companies are created.
Employees would definitely perform at their full potential when they are not busy looking over their shoulders literally and figuratively.
Employees are motivated to give their all when they have a sense of belonging to where they work and the people they work with.
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— Will Corry (@slievemore) May 3, 2019