COMPLIANCE & RISK ASSESSMENT ABOVE & BEYOND
Under common law, all employers have a duty of care towards their workers, no matter how many employees they have or the environment they work in. By definition, ‘duty of care’ means the moral or legal obligation to take all reasonable practical steps to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of their employees.
Alarmingly, a landmark study conducted into perceptions of personal safety at work found that 6.8 million employees worry about their safety on a weekly basis. Disturbingly, many employers significantly underestimate the level of concern, or are unaware of it completely. For others, going beyond the basic duty of care and providing reassurance to employees in and outside of working hours, is just one way to demonstrate a desire and willingness to support their wellbeing.
Compliant employers follow the rules. But it’s the smartest employers that realise healthy, happy, motivated, and focussed staff – who feel safe and appreciated – can improve overall business performance. They also acknowledge that achieving this will require going beyond basic compliance.
“6.8 MILLION EMPLOYEES WORRY ABOUT THEIR SAFETY ON A WEEKLY BASIS.”
Indeed, the companies and brands who are investing in a positive employee experience and culture that supports physical and mental wellbeing are discovering that this generally results in a more engaged workforce. What’s more, nearly half (48%) of employees would see their employer in a better light if they were provided with a personal safety solution, enhancing brand reputation.
When it comes to employer duty of care, the reasonableness of a protective measure can be determined by considering the potential risk of harm to the employee compared to the cost and practicality of putting the safety measure in place. With new advancements in technology, it’s becoming easier than ever to implement safety platforms and seamlessly imbed them into business ‘as usual’ activity. This allows companies to proactively manage the risks to their people instead of being reactive in the aftermath of an incident.
One such platform is Nexus, a new launched, pioneering software that enables organisations to meet their environment, health and safety (EHS) objectives by helping managers to protect and oversee the protection of their people effortlessly. The platform is a single point of management and information, which provides insightful reports and actionable data
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to aid customers in understanding and measuring the risks that their people face. This allows employees to put mitigating actions in place in order to drive improved personal safety and security.
One company that has benefited from this new technology is funeral-related service provider, Dignity. Regional Health & Safety Officer Steve Low said: “The Nexus platform provides an intuitive experience, enabling managers to easily monitor the devices assigned to them and their colleagues. The functionality and ease of use allows them to manage their part of the business with a few easy clicks.”
“22% OF WORKERS SAY PERSONAL SAFETY PLAYED A PART IN THEM LEAVING A ROLE.”
Improving measures of employee safety beyond compliance demonstrates how much an employer values their workers, and there is a strong argument to suggest that by bolstering feelings of safety, companies could be enhancing employee wellbeing and improving productivity in the process. A recent study conducted by Peoplesafe discovered that employees who experienced a negative event at work were statistically less satisfied with their job in all areas, from pay and benefits and job security through to work-life balance and feeling valued by their employer. This, in turn, negatively impacted staff turnover, with 22% of workers saying that personal safety played a part in them leaving a role.
By providing greater protection and peace of mind through recognised standards, I believe that we can make a genuine difference, both to the peace of mind and satisfaction of our workforces, as well having a positive impact on organisational perception and output.
www.peoplesafe.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
Naz Dossa, CEO of Peoplesafe and BSIA Chair of the Lone Working Group, discusses personal safety in the workplace, the benefits of going beyond basic compliance and the importance of proactively managing risks to employees.
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