8 minute read
OPINION
Safety and Security
With threats and acts of violence on the rise, company leaders must make safety and security a top priority in the workplace.
BY WILLIAM FLYNN
As pandemic-related pressures continue to impact the country in everything from health concerns to economic uncertainty, political divisiveness, and social unrest, business practices and protocols must evolve to meet the ever-increasing safety and security needs of customers and employees.
One aspect of the heightened risk environment that needs renewed focus is security. Archive, 2021 saw a total of 681 mass shooting incidents in the United States, 11.5 percent more than the previous year and 63 percent higher than 2019. In addition to threats of gun violence, pandemic-related pressures have led to a decline in civility — turning ordinary customer-to-employee and employee-to-employee interactions into potential hotbeds for verbal and physical altercations.
As a result, it’s increasingly critical that business
Safety cannot exist without the protection of individuals, organizations, and properties against external threats that cause harm. For example, some employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to help limit unintended accidents.
While company leaders have made safety a priority by placing an emphasis on health and virus prevention resources, we aren’t seeing similar and appropriate investments in available security resources. The same security threats that existed before the outbreak of COVID-19 continue to exist and, in many cases, have increased. Workers in retail, restaurants, health care, airlines, and numerous other industries are facing increased violence at their workplaces.
A 2021 study of Fortune 500 CEOs ranked workplace violence among the top three most pressing challenges for businesses today. Overall, security threats can result in up to a 50 percent decrease in productivity for an organization, 20 percent to 40 percent employee turnover, and an average of $500,000 in out-of-court settlements. Immeasurable damage may also be done to a company’s reputation.
When evaluating risk, consider the probability or likelihood of a specific threat, how vulnerable the company is to that threat, and what the potential consequences could be. Often, enterprises only focus on the probability of an incident and fail to examine the full spectrum of risk.
What’s more, the potential threats businesses face are evolving, evidenced by the increased number of acts of violence erupting without warning in unexpected places. According to the Gun Violence leaders prepare their employees to recognize anomalous behavior, de-escalate situations when possible, and know how to respond to a threat. Active shooter and workplace violence preparedness and response training will give employees the tools and techniques training will give employees the tools and techniques needed to face potential threats, while reinforcing a needed to face potential threats, while reinforcing a company’s culture of safety and employee well-being. company’s culture of safety and employee well-being.
Leaders never want to imagine that a tragedy or Leaders never want to imagine that a tragedy or act of violence can strike their employees or custom-act of violence can strike their employees or customers, but they must face the reality that it can, and ers, but they must face the reality that it can, and does, happen. While employees may be trained to does, happen. While employees may be trained to respond to an incident of sexual harassment or a fire, respond to an incident of sexual harassment or a fire, preparedness training across multiple threat scenar preparedness training across multiple threat scenarios should be commonplace. ios should be commonplace.
While there’s no perfect security plan that elimi-While there’s no perfect security plan that eliminates all risk, companies can manage potential dan-nates all risk, companies can manage potential dangers by prioritizing where the consequences of an gers by prioritizing where the consequences of an incident are greatest. incident are greatest.
Many businesses conduct active shooter and Many businesses conduct active shooter and workplace violence preparedness training. This workplace violence preparedness training. This may be in the form of a single-day train-may be in the form of a single-day training, an in-person demo, or the dis-ing, an in-person demo, or the distribution of free resources tribution of free resources from various security from various security organizations. While organizations. While all protection efforts all protection efforts are valuable in are valuable in responding to the responding to the ever-increasing need ever-increasing need for security, a more for security, a more comprehensive and comprehensive and integrated active integrated active shooter and workplace violence training program should be implemented.
Such a plan will teach employees to have situational awareness, recognize potential threats, de-escalate tense situations, and how to respond if faced with violence. Preparedness training can help employees recognize when someone displays behaviors that may be a preliminary sign — known as the “pathway to violence” — and respond immediately. If these signs, or “behavioral indicators,” are noticed and acted upon quickly, workplace violence may be prevented.
Sometimes, physical encounters are unavoidable. When violence does strike, preparedness training ensures that employees know how to react to protect themselves and their customers. In the crucial first seconds of an attack, responding quickly and decisively is essential to safety. If active shooter and workplace violence training programs are more commonplace in businesses today, it will better protect employees, clients, and the larger community.
Active shooter events and other acts of work-Active shooter events and other acts of work place violence can place violence can happen in any orga-happen in any orga nization. But nization. But there’s no safety there’s no safety without secu without security. If deci-rity. If deci sion-makers sion-makers act urgently act urgently and deliber and deliberately, we may ately, we may be able to pre be able to prevent the next vent the next act of violence act of violence — and save lives — and save lives in the process. in the process.
WILLIAM FLYNN
Flynn is co-founder of The Power of Preparedness, an e-learning provider of preparedness and security training in Ann Arbor. He previously served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Infrastructure Protection.
EXPERTS OFFER VALUABLE INSIGHT
What’s advice worth to you when you
need to make important decisions? On one hand, bad advice can be costly — while on the other hand, sound, insightful advice can be invaluable and save you time, effort, unnecessary expenses, and headaches.
Trusted advisers have exceptional knowledge in their particular industry. When choosing a trusted adviser, there are several things to consider. First, trusted advisers put their clients’ interests above their own. Second, they’re interested in their clients and their clients’ businesses. Finally, a trusted adviser should be dependable, a good listener, and genuinely enthusiastic about their work and their clients.
Make sure to scrutinize the individual’s references, license, and registrations. Take time to make sure the adviser’s expertise and capabilities are a good fit for your specific needs or your company’s needs.
The following experts offer insight and advice in their areas of expertise.
Q: What are the qualities of a trusted adviser?
Q: How are middle market companies dealing with labor shortages and recruiting challenges?
A: Most business lawyers in private practice desire to become the “trusted adviser” to their larger corporate clients. In that capacity, they advise the owners of businesses on all matters including corporate, real estate, finance, litigation, succession planning, and estate planning. Successful trusted advisers have similar attributes, including: • Putting the client’s interests first. This can be difficult for lawyers who are under pressure to bill hours. Successful trusted advisers always put the best interests of the client first and subordinate their own interests. • The lawyer is in it for a long-term relationship. It’s imperative for the trusted adviser to have a long-term relationship with the client, even when there’s not much legal work being done. Most clients desire frequent contact with their trusted adviser. • The trusted adviser is interested in the
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Plunkett Cooney
Scott K. Lites Partner 38505 Woodward Ave. Ste. 100 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-901-4074 248-901-4040 (F) slites@plunkettcooney.com
KeyBank Michigan
David Mannarino President & Commercial Sales Leader 4000 Town Center, Ste. 1260 Southfield, MI 48075 248-204-6550 CFMA #220114-1396764 David_Mannarino @keybank.com
A: In the face of record-high job openings, many middle market companies are investing in recruiting and retention efforts.
To compete in an exceedingly tight labor market, KeyBank’s recent Middle Market Sentiment Survey found business owners are looking toward offering potential candidates competitive wages (56 percent), flexible working hours, and health and wellness benefits (42 percent). Among companies that expect difficulties attracting talent, those that are planning to add employees are more likely to offer options to work remotely, increased paid time off, new-employee signing bonuses, and job training as ways to attract qualified talent.
As your company heads into 2022, you may be planning for expansion, contemplating M&A, considering the automation of payment processes, or putting in place a succession strategy. KeyBank middle market experts can provide customized insights, real-time counsel, and a broad range of relevant and tailored solutions to guide your decision-making. For more information on KeyBank’s middle market capabilities, contact a KeyBank relationship manager.
