Human Resources Description

Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q2 – SPRING CLEANING: THERE’S NO BETTER TIME FOR YOUR NEXT HR AUDIT

SPRING CLEANING: THERE’S NO BETTER TIME FOR YOUR NEXT HR AUDIT

Anne Laguzza, The Works Consulting, Network Partner

As a California business owner, you may have jumped for joy at the start of the year when you realized there were significantly fewer changes to employment legislation than in previous years. If you’re with the majority, you probably did a quick update to your policies and procedures, and then filed them away until next year. 

Just as I did with my clients, I’d like to encourage you to use this unusual gift to your advantage. It’s time for a bit of spring cleaning! Remember, legal compliance is only one part of your human resources practice. Fewer new laws means more breathing room for California employers and, therefore, the ability to more clearly look at the other aspects of your business that may need to undergo some optimization. 

That’s where an HR audit comes in to play.

The security industry—like many other industries today—is grappling with maintaining a strong and consistent workforce. As such, there is absolutely no better time to conduct a comprehensive HR audit to bolster your competitive advantage while doing a bit of risk mitigation that will help you down the road. With new jobs popping up regularly, your human resources practices are operating at a rapid pace that may result in errors and, potentially, legal consequences. It’s important to take the opportunity now to make sure that you’re set up to do the right thing, every time.

If you’ve never conducted this kind of audit, or it’s been awhile since you last did, here’s my guide to making sure it helps your business for years to come.

What is an HR Audit?

Let’s start with the basics—an HR audit takes a formal inventory of your company’s practices from hiring to termination of employment. This includes reviewing and optimizing any outdated or ineffective processes, procedures or company policies. The intent of an HR audit is not necessarily to determine what you are doing wrong, but instead, to understand what is going well and could be even better. 

An HR audit is meant to serve as the first step in aligning human resources operations with the strategic goals of your organization.

When was the last time you reviewed your organization’s wage statement? New hire forms? Leave of absence process? Job classifications? Benefits packages?

Everything that governs your employees fits under the umbrella of what can and should be included in an HR audit.

Who should be conducting my HR audit?

If you have an HR department or dedicated HR professional, it’s important that someone outside of your HR team lead and oversee the process. This ensures that organizations maintain checks and balances with an objective, second set of eyes managing the audit process. This can be someone from a different department within your organization who has the knowledge and experience to review the details.

For organizations that don’t have the internal support required to keep the process objective, an external HR consultant can be a great candidate to help facilitate the audit. Most importantly, this person should deeply understand your industry and the unique challenges that you face every day. Furthermore, there’s a lot to know about conducting a well-functioning business in California specifically, so an HR consultant ingrained in the region is going to be your best bet.

What are the main components of an HR audit?

A successful HR audit will take into thoughtful consideration the distinctive aspects of the company and its practices. However, there are some common threads that will benefit any organization. Fundamentally, an HR audit will consider:

  • How are people coming into the company? 
  • How are people operating within the company? 
  • How are people leaving the company?

For the security industry, in particular, I recommend my clients take a close look at the following aspects of their HR practices:

  1. Talent Acquisition and Orientation – This should encompass your recruiting, hiring and new hire training processes, including employment applications as well as interviewing and selection protocols.
  2. Compensation and Benefits Administration – This portion of your audit will review everything from job classifications to rest and meal periods, cell phone allowances and leaves of absence.
  3. Training and Development – For the security industry, this is a significant component of any HR audit, including a review of required training, both for armed and unarmed officers.
  4. Communication and Employee Retention – This will include a review of any employee recognition programs as well as protocols for performance feedback and methods of maintaining company culture.
  5. Document Review – Any HR audit should take into consideration the company’s existing employee paperwork, updating any items that are outdated or inconsistent with the company’s current practices.
  6. Employee Files – As an offshoot of document review, I also recommend that companies review a sampling of their employee files (electronic or paper) to ensure that they are organized, up-to-date and that information is easily accessible.
  7. Termination of Employment – This includes a review of the processes surrounding termination of employment to ensure that the company is in compliance with current final paycheck requirements and protocols for offboarding an employee.

For the majority of employers, I recommend that the HR audit process start with a thorough review of the current version of the company’s Employee Handbook. The Employee Handbook is an important document to keep current and ensure that your practices match your policies. This is always a good baseline to determine if anything is missing, incomplete or in need of improvement.

With all of these tips in mind, you’re ready to go forth and conquer your company’s 2022 HR Audit!

 

Anne Laguzza is the CEO of The Works Consulting, a CALSAGA Network Partner. As a seasoned business executive with human resources management, leadership development, and performance coaching experience, Anne works with clients from a variety of industries to develop better systems, maximize employee productivity, and enable management to focus on business growth. For more information, check out theworksconsulting.com or email anne@theworksconsulting.com. You can also find Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q2 – POSITIONING YOURSELF AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

POSITIONING YOURSELF AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

Jeff Davis, Group Vice President, Solution Sales, WorkWave

It comes as no surprise that hiring (and retention) is still a hot topic in the security industry. While there’s no magic answer to overcoming the challenges of today’s competitive market, we know the key to attracting talent is to position yourself as an employer of choice. There are the obvious variables you should consider when making your open positions competitive (like wages and benefits, for example). The other part of that strategy is making sure the right applicants know who you are, or how to find out more about you.

That’s easier said than done. You can post an opening to a job board and post about it on your website or social media, but that’s only the first step in becoming more visible. You need to make sure that job seekers can find you, they can understand your website, and the information you’re presenting is clear. To achieve those things, you need to start thinking like a marketer. 

Start by comparing a traditional recruitment funnel against a traditional marketing funnel. They really aren’t all that different, especially in the beginning stages. Awareness is at the top of each process and where you have the most opportunity to position yourself as an employer of choice. This is your first touch point with potential job candidates and the stage where you can set the framework for the quantity and quality of your candidate leads. To improve awareness, think about: 

  • Improving your SEO. To those outside the marketing field, SEO may sound daunting, but it’s a readily available tool you can draw on to make your company — and website — more “findable” by job seekers. Using what you can find from SEO, you can add keywords to job descriptions, organic and paid ads, blog posts and webpages to help increase visibility where you need it. 
  • Expanding your content. Don’t only think about job postings and descriptions when your goal is hiring (although those are important, too.) Think about your overall brand. Are you demonstrating your company’s values, or highlighting reasons why someone would want to choose you as a place of employment over a competitor? Think about how you’re showing these things. Can you highlight testimonials from current employees? Can you demonstrate a walk-through of a “day in the life” of what the open position would require? Be accurate (while also being conscious of not sharing any information from your clients or contracts) and take what you find to the applicant directly — whether that’s social media, job boards, or traditional in-person recruitment events.

Gain more marketing advice and other best practices based on current industry trends.

After you’ve begun engaging with a pool of potential job applicants, then you can start narrowing your focus on the middle and end stages of the hiring funnel. Plan to dedicate real time to job descriptions and listings. 

Pro tip: Familiarize yourself with the rules of specific job boards. Some will remove your job listings if you ask certain information, like age or background checks. If that criterion is required for your screening process, make sure you’re including the qualifying criteria as required responses in your applicant tracking and hiring system.

In your job listings themselves, don’t be limited by wage and benefit information. Can you offer jobs that are more convenient to an applicant based on proximity to residence? Are you able to offer shift flexibility, a hiring bonus, or a guaranteed bonus after a certain period on the job? Even if it’s seemingly small, any detail can set you apart in the market — especially as job flexibility becomes a bigger consideration for today’s job seekers. Just make sure you’re being accurate. Remember, the goal should be to attract quality applicants, not quantity.

Marketing is a crucial step in staying ahead of the competition in a tight labor market. If you’re looking for help in website design, SEO or other opportunities to improve your recruitment marketing, TEAM Software by WorkWave can help. 

For the last 20 years, Jeff has focused on technology, working in sales and marketing to executive leadership, with five years specializing in human resources technology. Within his leadership role at WorkWave, which acquired TEAM Software in 2021, Jeff serves as a subject matter expert delivering marketing and service solutions to service contractors worldwide.

 

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Kate

The Californian 2022 Q1 – WOMEN, SECURITY AND COVID-19

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WOMEN, SECURITY AND COVID-19

Ashlee Cervantes, Guard Protection Force & CALSAGA Board Member

 

How recently have you reviewed your internal Security Officer statistics? Do you know the percentage of women versus men on your team? Now you may be thinking,

“Why does it matter? I hire the most qualified person for the job.”

I wholeheartedly agree with this perspective, I also know that numbers never lie. There’s an entire story they represent and if we listen there’s much to be learned from the stories these numbers can reveal.

 

As a security professional I am sure you’re already aware of the inherit value women bring to your workforce. Nonetheless, here are just a few of the critical components that highlight the essential need for a multicultural and diverse workforce now more than ever:

  1. According to Security Magazine, security is one of the fastest-growing professional careers worldwide. Not that I need to tell you this – just speak with your sales and recruitment teams. When you strategize to target and retain female talent you open doors to exacerbate talent growth.
  2. The issues our clients are facing have evolved over the past 20 years and now require a collaborative, diverse team to address these (literal) life and death problems. Research continues to indicate the more diverse your team – the better the results. Women strategize and think differently than our male counterparts. We tend to naturally leverage empathy, effective communication and emotional intelligence to problem solve and effectively mitigate difficult situations.
  3. Lastly, when it comes to boots on the ground operations we’ve all heard women are simply better shooters than men. Now, I am using this idea to be facetious but there is a relevant point to deliver here: women have much to bring to the table from an operational perspective as well. One theory explains, “that yes, women are better shooters, and [this] theory is that it’s because women listen to their instructors instead of trying to one-up them” Tactically women have many qualities, especially those highlighted by this point, we are keen listeners and observationists.

 

Now we’ve covered at least a few of the critical components as to why you need women on your security team. So go ahead and review your own internal statistics and let’s talk about what you find …

Scenario I: Perhaps you found that your internal statistics reflect those of the industry nationally: 25% of security officers in the US are women . While this scenario means your company stacks up positively against the national numbers, we’ll still want to revisit how as an industry we can grow those numbers in general.

Scenario II: Let’s explore another possibility. What if you review your employee statistics and find that you are at or even exceed 25% of women in your workforce, but only when you include administrative staff. While this isn’t bad news, I’d caution you against celebrating your diverse workforce just yet.

By design administrative teams are critically different than our security officer roles. And remember, the national statistic indicates that 25% of all security officers are women, so that’s what we want to measure ourselves against.

Scenario III: Let’s explore a final possibility. what if you fall short of the national average? In this scenario you review your internal security officer profiles and come to find that your organization currently employ less than 25% women in the field.

 

First things first; don’t panic.

A great place to start is to reflect on your company history. If 2022 reflects less than 25% of your security officers are women, what did 2021 look like? And 2020? Even more importantly, what about 2018 & 2019? Here is why this is critical information: we know that COVID-19 has critically impacted women in the workplace across industries).

In this scenario the goal will be to understand where those women went across the span of the last three years. Your internal exit interviews are a great place to start. Your exit interviews should give you insight into why former employees have left and where they went. Digging into those details will help you understand how to better accommodate and attract women to your workforce going forward, and particularly in a COVID world.

In closing, we’ve addressed the critical components a diverse workforce bring to your organization, clients and our industry as a whole. Then we analyzed why you need to know your own numbers and understand where you fall. I outlined three scenarios and possibilities to frame those numbers, but know that it is okay if you don’t fit in a particular box.

There is much work to be done, but awareness of the critical value women bring to the security industry is the very first step.

Ashlee Cervantes holds her Masters in Business Administration from University of California, Davis. She is a seasoned security professional, with over a decade of management experience overseeing teams who specialize in Armed Security and Executive Protection. She is based in Northern California where she serves as the Executive Director of Operations with Guardian Protection Force Inc (GPF). Since 2019 she has served as the Northern California Director of CALSAGA. In her time in the industry Ashlee has grown both teams of security professionals, management and revenues four-fold. 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q1 – RETAINING EMPLOYEES IN THE AGE OF EARNED WAGE ACCESS

RETAINING EMPLOYEES IN THE AGE OF EARNED WAGE ACCESS

Jeff Davis,  TEAM Software, Network Partner

Let’s set the stage: it’s 2022. The labor market is still volatile. The number of unemployed persons per job opening is at a record low. We’re hearing leaders in the industry express frustrations about meeting service demands while battling staffing shortages. Retention is (or should be) a key metric in the longevity of your hiring strategies. 

Enter: the age of earned wage access. 

Earned wage access programs are when employers give employees access to their earned wages, even if that request comes before a regular payday. This on-demand pay model is changing the payroll landscape, where alternatives could be pushing your employees to salary lenders (and the accompanying interest) when short-term cash flow needs arise. As an employer, you could be offering a similar source of cash flow and reap the benefit of increased officer retention. 

Before we dive too deeply into the top, let me say this: early wage access programs shouldn’t add processes (or associated costs) to your existing payroll procedures. Most financial wellness programs are built so all the extra work associated with getting your employees’ earned wages to them early happens outside of your current processes. 

How? Typically, an employee pays a small fee to access earned pay on demand. They can do this down to the day, with balances updating after each shift worked. When the program includes a paycheck advance app, employees can gain access to funds even faster, no matter where they are. 

If you’re weighing the pros and cons of implementing an on-demand pay model into your business, consider these study-proven benefits: 

  1. Companies have seen reductions in turnover as high as 90%.
  2. Companies experience decreases in hiring costs related to turnover (a number that has been reported to averaging at least $4,000 per hire). 
  3. Companies have seen increased interest from job applicants. (Plus, consider this: as an early adopter to on-demand pay programs, your job postings have one more way of standing apart from the competition and their benefits packages.)
  4. Employees have reported decreases in finance-related stress (improving employee experience and financial well-being, and productivity on the ops side of your business).

In short, an early paycheck program could be just what you need to strengthen your employee retention strategy and keep your contracts staffed. 

If this is an avenue you’re interested in exploring, start by evaluating the interest of early paycheck access within your workforce. And, know not all programs are created equal. At TEAM, we partner with different providers regionally to make earned wage access even easier, but it’s important to talk to your own legal team to ensure the providers you’re partnering with are adhering to all necessary wage laws and compliance requirements. No financial risk should fall to your company. 

Once you’ve got a system up and rolling, measure metrics like employee satisfaction, retention and turnover. Gauge any new applicant volume and adjust accordingly. As you do, don’t forget about your other hiring and retention strategies to hire (and keep) your staff. 

 

Jeff Davis was president of Kwantek, a recruiting and onboarding software provider acquired by TEAM Software, the leading provider of integrated financial, operations and workforce management software for cleaning and security contractors, in 2020. Since joining TEAM, Jeff is the VP of Strategic Growth North America, acting as a subject matter expert and thought leader for TEAM in the security and cleaning industries and assisting with global sales and marketing initiatives. For the last 20 years, Jeff has focused on technology, working in sales and marketing to executive leadership, with four years specializing in human resources technology. He has an MBA focusing on Information Systems from Tennessee Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Louisville.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q4 – WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS: HOW TO CHOOSE AN OCCUPATIONAL CLINIC

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WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS: HOW TO CHOOSE AN OCCUPATIONAL CLINIC

Shaun Kelly, Tolman & Wiker, Preferred Broker

Hello to all and we hope everyone is doing well!

We have been assisting employers in managing Workers’ Compensation claims for many years. This includes First Aid claims, moderate injuries involving transitioning to light duty to get the employee back to work as soon as possible and assisting with very serious injuries. One part of the process in managing Workers’ Compensation claims that all employers should engage in, is choosing an occupational clinic that works best for you, the employee and the insurance carrier. A designated Occupational Clinic should be selected prior to any injuries. Including all team members handling Workers’ Compensation claims in this process is important. This should also include your insurance broker in order to assist you throughout the claim.

The clinic you choose is an important decision as it sets the tone for the rest of the claim. A well written discharge report will limit options while a poorly written report can leave the door open for further allegations and treatment. The clinic you choose should also help convey how your company cares about its employees.

Things to look for in a clinic:

  1. Look for a clinic who can see your employees during your work hours
  2. Look for a clinic who will keep copies of your job descriptions on file
  3. Look for a clinic who will use MRIs sparingly
  4. Look for a clinic who is responsive to employee needs and has a pleasant bedside manner

Before choosing a clinic you should schedule a time to visit. This will allow you to tour the clinic which will give you an idea of the average wait time, as well as meet some of the doctors. You may also ask the clinic to do an on-site visit of your facility. This will give the clinic a better idea as to what it is you do and what type of job duties your employees have as well as the physical demands of the job.

Things to ask during your visit to the clinic:

  1. What are their hours of operation? Are they open at night and on weekends?
  2. How many locations do they have?
  3. How do they handle return-to-work? Do they try to get injured employees back to modified duties as soon as possible? Do they send work status reports via email to employers as soon as possible? How descriptive do they get in writing work restrictions?
  4. How do they communicate with employers?
  5. Do they do pre-placement medical exams and physical abilities tests?
  6. Do they do drug screening?
  7. How do they handle red-flag cases?
  8. Do they have in-house specialists? Do they have in-house physical therapy, chiropractic services, or a pharmacy?
  9. How do they make sure the injured employee understands what is being told to them during the exam?
  10. Are their doctors bilingual? Do they have interpreters?

Please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions .

Shaun Kelly joined Tolman & Wiker Insurance Services in 2005.  He specializes in all lines of property and casualty insurance for industries including contract security firms, agriculture, construction, oil and gas. Shaun received a BS in Business Administration with a major in Finance from California State University in Fresno, California. He is an active member of several industry associations, including the Association CALSAGA, the Kern County Builders Exchange and the Independent Insurance Agents of Kern County. Shaun can be reached at 661-616-4700 or skelly@tolmanandwiker.com.

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q4 – HIRING INTO 2022: HOW TO GET THE RIGHT OFFICERS IN A TOUGH MARKET

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HIRING INTO 2022: HOW TO GET THE RIGHT OFFICERS IN A TOUGH MARKET

Jeff Davis, TEAM Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

As a security contractor, you’re well aware the current labor market is pretty crazy. You’ve got a lot stacked against you, and you’re not alone. National applicant trends across industries aren’t keeping up with those of hiring. That’s a problem for your hiring efforts. So, how do you attract applicants to your open jobs?  

First things first. 

Promote your jobs. Due to the lack of job seekers, employers have sponsored more job listings on job boards, leading to an all-out bidding war. With placements coming at a premium, companies have had to aggressively increase their job board spending budget to remain visible. Before you start throwing money around, though, consider your options. 

Diversify your applicant search. One source of job postings may garner lots of applicant volume, but with low quality. This means you may end up with candidates in your hiring funnel who have little interest in being there or who aren’t qualified. Or, the opposite may be true. A job board could only generate a sliver of applicant volume, but with applicants who are highly qualified with long-term retention potential at your company. Evaluate what your KPIs are in the hiring process and parcel out your advertising process accordingly. Then make postings on job boards based on those KPI goals. 

Next up, marketing. 

One of the best ways to improve your candidate quality is by improving your job listing. If the listing is unclear, people won’t apply. If it is misrepresentative of work tasks, you could have officers apply, begin work, then decide the job isn’t right for them and turn over quickly. Speak to what’s unique about your company, what might make it a good fit for the right candidates, and why people should be excited to join your team. Highlight benefits, even if you can’t afford to pay rates as high as some of your competitors. Unique benefits could attract candidates who might otherwise skip based on wage criteria alone. Make each listing easy to read and quick to process and use social media to increase job visibility. 

Look beyond the obvious. 

The truth is, COVID-19 has changed the hiring landscape. Even if changes aren’t permanent, it’s possible we could see continued impact on when and how applicants return to the hiring market. Even as applicants do return, there could be a shift in who is coming back to what jobs. As a result, you may need to rethink the type of candidate you’re trying to attract, and how you move them through your hiring process. Make it speedy. Quick apply tools and ATS systems with data capture help gather applicant information, meaning you have a larger pool of candidates to draw from, even if they aren’t able to complete an application in full. Move even quicker by keying in on what really matters to your open jobs and focusing on collecting secondary information, like historical job information past a few years ago. 

Whatever you do, don’t ghost. 

You know how hard it is to source and hire qualified applicants to join your team. It’s a whole other challenge to actually convert a new-hire into a member of your security workforce who stays on past sixty days. It’s not uncommon to hire a new employee, then have that employee “ghost” you, or never show up, before day one. 

Knowing this is a challenge for your security business, it’s imperative that you as the hiring agent also doesn’t ghost your potential employees, either. Don’t leave applicants in the hiring funnel too long. Don’t ignore potential candidates, or waste time holding out on an offer. While you still want to find a candidate who is a good fit, gone are the days that afforded you time to be super selective in your hiring tactics — at least for now. If you don’t move quickly, your competitors will. 

Keep these “get” strategies in mind as you enter into 2022. It’s likely the hiring market will continue to keep us on our toes as current challenges evolve, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. And, don’t forget to focus on your retention efforts, too. Once you have the right officer on your payroll, you want to do everything you can to keep them. 

Jeff Davis was president of Kwantek, a recruiting and onboarding software provider acquired by TEAM Software, the leading provider of integrated financial, operations and workforce management software for cleaning and security contractors, in 2020. Since joining TEAM, Jeff is the VP of Strategic Growth North America, acting as a subject matter expert and thought leader for TEAM in the security and cleaning industries and assisting with global sales and marketing initiatives. For the last 20 years, Jeff has focused on technology, working in sales and marketing to executive leadership, with four years specializing in human resources technology. He has an MBA focusing on Information Systems from Tennessee Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Louisville.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q4 – STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE RISK OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

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STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE RISK OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Debbie Howlett, TrackTik, Network Partner

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, many previously low-risk workplaces are now at a higher risk for workplace violence. Many people frustrated by mask mandates, social distancing restrictions, and endless line-ups have resulted in a population with hair-trigger tempers. Some workplaces are recognized to be at significantly greater risk than others, like healthcare facilities. An emergency room in San Leandro, California, recently went into lockdown when a visitor, frustrated by Covid-19 restrictions, threatened to bring a gun into the hospital. 

However, workplace violence in healthcare was already on the rise pre-pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics reports that in 2019, 47% of emergency department physicians reported being physically assaulted during work, and 71% of nurses reported experiencing sexual harassment at the hands of patients. This year, according to the National Nurses Union (NNU), a recent nationwide survey of more than 5,000 registered nurses, 31% of hospital RNs said that they faced a small or significant increase in workplace violence, up from 22 percent since March 2021.

An unfortunate silver lining to the pandemic has allowed hospitals to review their safety protocols. Across the U.S., hospitals and other facilities have installed more security cameras and video surveillance, limited entry points to monitor visitors more closely, and hired additional security officers. They have also provided de-escalating training, equipped staff with Bluetooth-enabled panic buttons, and in some cases, brought in K9 patrols. 

Security Officers at Risk

At present, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) only has rules that regulate workplace violence in the healthcare industry. Still, there are no regulations covering workplace violence in other sectors. The Cal/OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security have been in circulation since March 1995, so workplace violence has been a concern for a long time in California. The guidelines include specific factors that may put employers at a higher risk for violence, many of which are characteristic of the role security officers play in the workplace, such as:

  • Lone workers
  • Security officers transporting money between financial institutions
  • Armed security officers at cannabis dispensaries and plants
  • Safety ambassadors at healthcare facilities
  • Public safety officers in communities and cities
  • Public-facing security officers enforcing mask mandates and social distancing rules

Identifying Workplace Security Issues 

Many workplaces are at risk for workplace violence, but specific workplaces are significantly more at risk than others. Therefore, every employer should perform an initial assessment to identify workplace security issues. The security assessment should begin with a physical tour of the workplace in question, a review of security procedures already in place to identify any potential vulnerabilities. 

As you tour the workplace, consider the following ten questions: 

  • Where could someone easily access the building? 
  • Are potential entrances secured? 
  • Is there any form of access control upon entering the building? Is identification required? 
  • What is the procedure for visitors to the building? 
  • Have potential escape routes been explored in the event of a threat? 
  • Is the building a shared space? Do other tenants share your security concerns? 
  • Are there blind corners, hedges, or unlit areas where someone might hide? 
  • Are all the gates and fences surrounding the building secure with no gaps? 
  • Is the parking area well lit and maintained? 
  • Are doors left open and unlocked? 

Crafting the Workplace Security Plan

Once the workplace tour is complete, create a workplace security plan using the information you collected. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all security plan that employers can download and implement. Every employer needs a plan tailored to its particular environment and takes company culture, physical layout, resources, and management styles into account. 

Craft your security plan with the following suggestions in mind. 

Secure your workplace – Consider using physical barriers likes fences and gates, access control systems, door locks, and video surveillance. 

Create an access control plan – Use keys that cannot be replicated, electronic access cards, or a biometric option like fingerprint, palm print, or iris scanning. Provide badges for visitors. 

Contract security officers – Hire security officers to perform foot or mobile patrols and checkpoint tours. Officers can also assist with visitor screening and monitoring access control systems. 

Position security cameras where you need them – Security surveillance is key to monitoring who enters and exits the building at all times. 

Provide good lighting – Make sure that employee entrances and exits are located in well-lit areas, and interiors, corridors, stairwells, and parking lots are illuminated. 

Consider using alarms – Ensure that entrances and exits are equipped with alarm systems that warn employees if unauthorized individuals try to enter the building. 

Create a map of the building – Identify entrances and exits, stairwells, doors, and security cameras. It will help you determine where to deploy extra security, video surveillance, and extra lighting. 

Review and revise your security plan – The review should ensure that doors are closed or locked, the locks are working, and security officers properly screen visitors. 

Redesigning aspects of your workplace can reduce the likelihood of violence and keep your security officers and the people and facilities or institutions they protect secure. Consider revisiting your security plan today with some of these suggestions.

Debbie Howlett
TrackTik

Debbie is an experienced writer with a demonstrated history of working in the security industry. She is based in Montreal, Canada, with TrackTik—a dynamic and cutting-edge tech company that sells cloud-based security workforce management software.

debbie.howlett@tracktik.com
Twitter: @TrackTik 

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q3 – THE STAFFING DROUGHT

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THE STAFFING DROUGHT

Tony Unfried, CSA360

We have a new drought among the security industry… It is a staffing drought. Finding new staff has been harder than ever. According to LinkedIn there are over 53,000 jobs available in the US. For various (some valid) reasons, not many people are eager to return to work. Lowering your turnover and improving retention is more important now than ever. Here is how you can help solve staffing gaps.

Art of Incentives
People are competitive by nature and nothing like a friendly competition to motivate your team. Using the art of incentives can be one of the best kept secret methods to encourage your team. This can be your secret weapon to keep your security team motivated. Perhaps finding a good scheduling software that can track this is a good idea.

Transparency
Having transparency within your staff is easier said than done. From knowing the availability of your staff to how they are performing can be difficult. It is a definite must. While having fun, positive incentives are great. It has been proven that people perform better when they know they are being watched and critiqued based on their work performance. Reward the employees who are always on time by giving them the better shifts or their preferred shift or the best positions. While you can keep track of this with a spreadsheet that can become a bit tedious, it is recommended you read into security software which can automate this process.

HR Software
It is nearly impossible to know everyone on your staff’s schedule. You’re only human after all. One thing recommended to help you be on top of your staff is investing in guard scheduling software. It can allow your employees to input their availability. Scheduling software can offer you valuable insights that will help you keep track of who is on time and who is making all the guard tour checkpoints. This can help increase employee transparency.

Keeping your staff engaged and motivated can be easier said than done but make sure you’re setting clear goals and expectations. Keeping things transparent within your staff. Once goals are met give a reward. This will help keep your security staff motivated and help solve staffing gaps.

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2020 Q4 – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CALIFORNIA WORK BREAK LAWS

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CALIFORNIA WORK BREAK LAWS 

Debbie Howlett, TrackTik, Network Partner

While many security companies recognize that hungry and tired security officers aren’t at their most productive, providing meal or rest breaks to employees isn’t universally required by law (though many employers do provide meal or rest breaks out of courtesy).  

It is well-known that the state of California has some of the strictest employment laws in the United States. And while a number of U.S. states do require employers to provide meal breaks or rest breaks, California is only one of a few states that require both. It also requires that security companies pay their officers for some of this time by offering both a meal break and paid rest breaks.  

Meal Breaks

California law requires that for every five hours a security officer has worked, security companies must provide a 30-minute meal break. However, companies do not have to pay for this time – meal breaks are unpaid. So if the officer only works six hours or less, they can waive the right to a meal break. Security officers who work ten hours are entitled to a second 30 meal break which is also unpaid. If the entire shift doesn’t exceed 12 hours, then an officer can waive the second break as long as the officer took the first break. Two breaks may not be waived in one day.  

Rest Breaks

California law also requires companies to provide rest breaks to their officers. For every four hours worked, security companies must provide a paid 10-minute rest break. Security officers who work less than three-and-a-half hours are generally not offered rest breaks. 

As with all legislation, compliance with California’s labor laws is critical for security organizations since a failure to comply can lead to costly labor claims, stiff penalties, and lawsuits. So staying compliant with meal and rest breaks requirements is critical.  

Recent Lawsuits

Here are two examples of the consequences of not complying with California Work Break Laws, although there are some exceptions to the laws like for private-sector emergency workers who need to be available during their entire shift. 

In 2019, a resort located in Rancho Palos Verdes settled a class-action lawsuit with its hotel workers for $2.1 million. The Terranea Resort failed to provide hotel employees with rest and meal breaks, as well as numerous other violations under California labor law. 

Also in 2019, McDonald’s agreed to pay $26 million to settle a 6-year old lawsuit that alleged it violated wage and hour laws by not granting meal and rest breaks for 38,000 workers at its California restaurants. While McDonald’s didn’t admit culpability in the lawsuit, it did agree to ensure employees get adequate breaks.  

Advanced Break Management

To address the complexity of California work break laws, security companies should look for a security workforce management solution that includes Advanced Break Management. This allows supervisors and managers to implement break rules and automate break management to ensure that employees take the right breaks at the right time. It also ensures that you remain in compliance with the strictest labor legislation in your jurisdiction.   

A good rule of thumb here is to choose a solution that enables multiple meal and rest break rules to be created instantaneously, and alerts so security officers are always aware of breaks for best performance. Other important features include an overview of guard break schedules, simplified scheduling according to positions rather than individuals, and break reminders and overriding features for changes and exceptions.  

Advanced break management gives security organizations peace of mind by making it easier to comply with California’s ever-changing break rules and legislation – and reduce legal and financial risk – while simultaneously increasing workforce flexibility and guard productivity.

Debbie is an experienced writer with a demonstrated history of working in the security industry. She is based in Montreal, Canada, with TrackTik—a dynamic and cutting-edge tech company that sells cloud-based security workforce management software.

Debbie Howlett 
Content Specialist 
TrackTik 

debbie.howlett@tracktik.com
Twitter: @TrackTik  

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2020 Q4 – THREE WAYS YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD SUPPORT MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE 

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THREE WAYS YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD SUPPORT MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE 

Team Software, Network Partner

By capturing electronic timekeeping data with your software, you’re able to catch and prevent violations before they happen — something that isn’t possible with manual timekeeping. 

Timekeeping is an everyday concern for security companies. Your guards are clocking in and out of shifts across multiple locations. Your supervisors can’t be everywhere at once to ensure breaks are being taken by the right people at the right times. This doesn’t just have an impact on your individual employees — it also has an impact on your business’s financial wellbeing when it comes to paying for meal and rest break compliance violations. 

Understanding the impact of these laws is especially crucial for security companies in?California, where violating meal and rest break laws can result in compensating employees for lost breaks with additional hours of pay. Here’s a list of three ways your software should support your business when it comes to meal and rest break compliance. 

Timekeeping and Punch Types

Your meal and rest software should offer enhanced timekeeping and punch types to allow you to track your guards’ multiple unpaid and paid (otherwise known as on-duty) meals and paid breaks. You should also be able to see actual in and out times, and view, edit, and clean up your collected data in efficient and helpful ways when punch data must be corrected. 

Reporting

Look for software with useful and informative meal and rest reporting to help determine who is and who isn’t in compliance with your company and/or state’s meal and rest laws. Reporting should be flexible to allow you to identify any or all violations such as meals and breaks that have been missed, are too short or not taken in a timely manner. The identification of and premium (or penalty) payment of the violations you identify according to your business policies should be a simple, streamlined process. 

Notifications 

Your software should be able to send notifications to the right people at the right time to support your company’s meal and rest compliance and minimize premium payments to employees. To ensure lunch breaks are taken in a timely manner, look for focused notifications that alert supervisors if a meal hasn’t been started after a certain amount of time into a shift. Guards should also be notified if they’re checking back into work before their lunch or break is taken in full. 

When used properly, a holistic software solution ensures your timekeeping is accurate, easy to manage and in compliance with state, local, union or company-specific regulations. Contact TEAM Software at sales@teamsoftware.com to learn about how we can help you manage your meal and rest break compliance. 

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