Late Nights at the Office? 4 Strategies to Make Your Team Feel Safe

We’ve all been there: you’re working late and hear an unusual sound that startles you so much you can’t think about anything else. You’re now completely unable to focus on your work, so you give up and decide to head home, racing out the door and through the parking lot with your keys in one hand and pepper spray locked and loaded in the other. So much for getting all that extra work done.

As the boss, you don’t want your employees to ever feel this way at work. Here are ways to make your office feel safer:

Limit Access

You can help employees to feel safe in the office at all hours by limiting access to the office so that strangers cannot easily wander in. There are a few options for doing this, but one of the most common ways is to install automatic locks on all exterior doors. This way, the door will automatically lock every time it closes, so no one in the office needs to remember to lock the door behind them when they leave. Provide everyone in the office with their own key, passcode or individual key card, depending on the type of lock that you choose.

Install Security Cameras

Security cameras are essential for thwarting criminals and helping your team feel safe in the office when they are working late into the evening. For the most effective surveillance system, you should install cameras throughout all of the public areas surrounding your office. There should be a camera over each of the exterior doors, by the dumpsters and throughout the parking lot so that there are not any blind spots.

When shopping around for the best camera system, look for one that you can buy outright, such as those available from Lorex. That way you can avoid spending more money on a security system that requires a monthly subscription. If you need many cameras, look for a system that bundles its packages so you can get a better price than if you were buying each camera individually. When it comes to features, it’s worth springing for a system that offers ultra-high definition, to ensure you get a crisp picture and color night vision. In the event that an incident ever does occur, having clear video footage can be the key to finding the perpetrator who committed the crime.

Add Plenty of Exterior Lighting

Criminals and vagrants will take advantage of any dark corners around your office property. Darkness provides cover, offering a place to hide and wait for prey or plan how to get in and rob the place. Eliminate these areas of reprieve by illuminating all dark areas surrounding your office with ample exterior lighting. There should be plenty of lampposts to light up the entire parking lot, as well as landscape lighting, a bright light over each exterior door and motion-activated lights around the perimeter of the building. With ample exterior lighting, employees can feel safer than ever when walking to their vehicles after a late night at the office.

Use the Buddy System

When all else fails to make the most nervous employee feel safe at the office late at night, it’s worthwhile to adopt a buddy system policy so that no one has to work late alone. Adopt an official policy that people working late must have at least one other co-worker in the office with them. It can help make the office a safer place and also encourage your team to be more productive and work more efficiently.

• Tags:
• Employee
• Leadership
• Security

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