Sunday, October 22, 2017

What You Need to Do Now to Keep Your Employees Safe



Is Your Workplace Safe?

As an employer, it is your duty to provide your employees with a safe workplace ~ and that includes protecting it from workplace violence, drug abuse, bullying and harassment.

It is also important that you recognize and understand why these acts and  behaviors are dangerous to you, your workers, and your company! 

Effects of an Unsafe Workplace:

  • reduction in individual and overall productivity
  • increase in health issues due to stress or physical harm
  • increased potential of being sued
  • decrease in your business’s reputation and brand



Here I am revisiting my series discussing the 
3 Biggest Dangers to Your Workplace ~ 
Employees Who Steal, 
Office Bullies, and 
Workplace Violence and Drug Use. 
I also shared what you can do to lessen their impact on You, Your Employees, and Your Business.

Employees Who Steal
Employee theft is not uncommon. Billions of dollars are lost each year by employee theft, fraud, and embezzlement. And many times it is the employee that you least expect that is responsible.

While workplace theft is harmful to any business, the effect that it has on a Small Business can be devastating.

Take a look at these Employee Theft Statistics released by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners* on September 7, 2015:

  • 7% of Annual Revenue Lost to Theft or Fraud     
  • 75% of Employees Who have Stolen at Least Once from their Employer
  • 37.5% of Employees Who Have Stolen at Least Twice from their Employer
  • 33% of Business Bankruptcies Caused by Employee Theft        

Learn more about the impact of employee theft on your company here!

Office Bullies
Workplace Bullying happens, and when it does, it can have serious implications on both the victim and your company.

Victims of bullying are often plagued by health problems. They may experience elevated stress levels, changes in sleep patterns, and may even find themselves prone to panic attacks.

Even more seriously, they are more susceptible to stress-related illnesses like high blood pressure and ulcers.


Being bullied can also effect a person’s work performance. 

Many victims suffer from decreased self-esteem, resulting in them having difficulty making decisions. Their confidence is low. They may also experience a loss of motivation. Their work suffers because they can no longer concentrate. 

Frequent absences are not uncommon. Victims would rather not come to work at all instead of spending their day worrying what their bully will do next or doing everything they can to stay out of the bully’s path.

Many times victims also feel a sense of isolation. They believe they are in this situation alone and that they have no where to turn. This is especially true of adults who feel that they are showing weakness if they are unable to handle the situation on their own.

Check out this article on Workplace Bullying to find out more!



Workplace Theft, Bullying, and Violence Oh My! “Tweet This”


Workplace Violence and Drug Use
Violent and Addicted employees pose a special danger to businesses. Not only are they a problem for your other employees and clients, they can have serious complications for your company.

While violence in the workplace is not common, it can happen.  
And as an employer, it is your obligation to do what you can to prevent, recognize, and stop it whenever possible.

Employee drug abuse can have serious implications on your entire company. When an employee is on drugs, they are often incapable of making sound decisions, on top of often being physically impaired. This can result in more on-the-job accidents and injuries, both for the employee using drugs and those around them. This can cost you both in harming your workforce and being dangerous to you financially.

Discover the effects of Violent and Addicted Employees in your Workplace here!  

As with most business dangers, prevention should be your focus. Doing what you can before hiring any employee makes sense.

And while not all dangers are completely avoidable, it is best to do what you can before something happens.


What You can Do?


Your First Line of Defense against a Violent Employee is the Background Check! 

Background checks should be done on every employee before you hire, and periodic re-screening after. Remember, “Trust but Verify”!

Write strong company policies with a zero tolerance for theft, bullying, violence, or workplace drug use ~ and make sure to discuss these polices with your employees.

Get Everyone on Board with recognizing, reporting, and stopping unsafe behavior.

Create a Safe Zone for reporting problems without repercussions.

Establish a good checks and balances system so no one person has control over company finances.

Form strong relationships with your employees.


It is your duty to create a safe workplace.

When you take the time to protect your employees, it shows that you are dedicated to making your workplace as safe and productive as possible.


In the end, what it really comes down to is wanting the best for your employees and your business. And that is something we should all want!

Authored by  






Let Us Help You make Your Workplace Safer! Contact API Today!
We will work with you to better screen your potential and existing employees with our Background Investigation services. We also offer Security Consulting services that can help!



Learn more About Us and what Our Happy Clients have to say too!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting our website. Contact Us! We can answer your questions and offer you a consultation on how we can help You with your Hiring, Business, and Security Needs!

We also invite you to Subscribe. Just leave your email and you will get one new article each month with tips and information focused on You and Your Business!