Organizations with frontline security staff need a streamlined process for mitigating work-related stress to allow for fewer disruptions in daily security operations, and a more present and healthy security workforce.
What are the ways in which technological solutions improve workplace safety and boost worker productivity? From wearable safety devices, incident reporting software and alarm monitoring systems, to incidents and task management software, employers have access to a whole host of solutions to try and implement.
When is the last time you assessed your monitoring platform? You may have already noticed signs indicating that your tools are not keeping up with the rapidly changing digital workforce – gathering nonessential data while failing to forewarn you about legitimate issues to your network operations. Post-2020, these systems have to handle workforces that are staying connected digitally regardless of where employees are working. Your monitoring tools should be hyper-focused on alerting you to issues from outside your network and any weakness from within it. Often, we turn out to be monitoring for too much and still missing the essential problems until it’s too late.
Matching staff levels to demand has always been one of the toughest gigs, and in an industry sector like security where staffing needs to be set at an adequate level, it becomes even tougher. Right now, the security industry is seeing unprecedented levels of blow-outs - because of illness, lockdown, self-isolation and home schooling. Security businesses have to meet contractual demands with set staffing levels and as a result the sector is under further pressure to ensure they can fill any blow-out shifts. Thanks to COVID-related complications, staff sickness and absence rates could reach as much as 15% this winter.
The risk level to the global workforce has reached its highest since 2016 according to the findings of the International SOS Risk Outlook 2021. Unsurprisingly, around eight in 190 risk professionals believe the health and security risks faced by the workforce increased in 2020 (specifically for “domestic employees” (85%), “assignees” (81%), “student and faculty” (80%), “business travelers” (79%) and “remote workers” (77%)). Around half believe that this will increase further in 2021.
In the security industry, technology is moving at lightspeed. New devices, automation, custom software, and robot and drone technology is constantly being developed, improved upon, and employed to help security guards perform routine tasks. However, to reap the benefits of rapid development and deliver exceptional results, the security industry needs to embrace all of these technological changes and be able to spot trends in order to protect an organization's data and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its security workforce.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S8617B/A10832) requiring all public employers to create plans to adequately protect workers in the event of another state disaster emergency involving a communicable disease.
