Add to Flipboard Magazine.
At the moment, it seems like no matter where you live; there are always things that you need to do to protect yourself and keep you safer. Sadly, it seems like there will be more and more to protect ourselves against as the days go by. Many people will take into consideration different things when in their homes. But how about when they’re at work? As an employer, you have the responsibility to make sure that when your employees are at work, that they are kept safe and looked after. Even if people don’t follow along with the guidelines you have set, the important thing is that they are in place and you’ve told them about it. So what are some of the steps to take to make sure that your office environment is safe and that plans are in place?
Create a Happy and Healthy Environment
In order to take care of your employees and keep them safe, one of the first basic things to look at is the quality of the office environment that they are in. Are they working in a place that meets their basic needs? Do you have things for comfort, such as a refrigerator and a coffee machine? Are the desks and chairs they work at suitable for the job? Are appliances checked for electrical safety and workstation posture assessments done with each employee? If you’re not sure what you need to be doing, then it is a good idea to check up on the heath and safety law where you live. The site Wispen has an interesting article on workplace health, https://wipsen.org/real-conversations-workplace-health-need.html, if you need some more clarification on what you should be doing. Make sure that you’re not negligent in these areas, and it will make a difference to your employees.
In order to make sure that you create a happy environment for your team, then think about having clear and open communication with them. Make sure that you allow them to share their thoughts and ideas, and not just rule the office like a dictatorship. When you as their boss are more approachable, it will help them to be able to come to talk to you and share any concerns that they might all. All of which is about creating a happy and safe environment for those that are around you.
Make a Non-Fear Based Environment
Along similar lines, it is important to think about creating an environment at work that is free from fear. Where there is fear, there are secrets. You could take an example from parenting, for instance. Say you punish a child quite harshly for being disobedient. In the short term, this is going to help them to be more obedient. But if it keeps happening, it is not going to be any good for them in the long-term. You just don’t know what the ramifications of it could be. The same kind of rule applies in an office environment. If everyone feels like they can’t talk or are walking on eggshells, so to speak, then their real concerns are hidden. At work, being able to express yourself is important. And if they are unable to do that, then it increases the risk of a sudden outburst from someone. So start off with an open, non-fear based environment, and it will help a lot.
Check In With Your Team
When you have employees, you need to get to know them. As a result, you can gauge when something might be wrong with them. If something is consistently wrong, then you can address ways to help. I’m not just talking about having a bad day, but an employee that is really struggling with something. Looking after the morale of your team is important. For some teams, it might work to speak to everyone individually each day. For larger teams is might be that you need to have a team meeting each morning. Having team leaders speak to certain individuals who then report back to you, might work too. Just figure out what works best for your team.
.JPG){kind=link}
Do the Right Checks When Hiring
Hiring people can be a long and stressful business. But you should take your time and do your due diligence when it comes to hiring new team members. You might just rely on your gut instinct when it comes to hiring, but that isn’t always going to be the best way to get the best employees and those that will help to keep the office safe for everyone else. First of all, you ask for references for a reason. Check them! Make sure that they are who they say they are and have worked where they say they have. You want to check a few things with the referees; it is important to check on goals and business performance. But it is also a good idea to ask for evidence through an anecdote or story that demonstrates some key things you need your employees to be able to do. You want your employees to have the right grades and qualifications, of course. But you also want to hire an employee for their character too.
Report Things
This goes for employees as well as an employer. But it makes a better place for everyone to live when everyone is being vigilant and keeping an eye on things. If one team member is acting oddly or erratically, then report it and keep a close eye on them. If you have a large corporation, then the more people you have with eyes lower down the floors, the better. You can’t be responsible for checking on everyone in the building. But having people and procedures in place can make a difference.
It could be suspicious packages, people acting oddly, or hearing tense or emotional phone conversations. Take, for instance, a story from security expert Paul Viollis, found on this website http://viollis.com/about/. There was an incident he experienced once, where a colleague heard a female colleague talking to her boyfriend quite tearfully on the phone. The female colleague was saying they will sort things out later and begged him not to come to the office. The colleague that overheard it all reported the situation to the human resources department, who then contacted the police. Low and behold the boyfriend did turn up to the office, and he was armed. So one team member being wary and conscientious meant that a domestic violence situation was dealt with and it didn’t escalate to anything worse.
Keep Communication Open
If you are in any situation at work that is a little uncomfortable and makes you uneasy, then it is a good idea to speak to someone about it. Don’t go it alone! If someone is harassing you, then report it. If you try to deal with things on your own, then it could make things dangerous for you, as well as other colleagues, potentially. So speak to someone that you trust at work so that they can help you and look out for you. It can also be good for your mental health to be regularly speaking to someone and taking a bit of a timeout from technology too.
There are many different situations that might occur when you’re at work. But following these guidelines could help you to make where you work happier and safer for everyone. So if you don’t have any of these types of things in place, then it is a good idea to implement them now; there is no time like the present.
Recent Comments