Protecting Your Employees During Employee Terminations

Any manager that has been in a position to release an employee from their position has likely not slept the night before and never looks forward to this meeting. When an employee is released, the potential for an emotional reaction, confrontation, or vandalism to property on the way out is growing increasingly common. Uncertainty and fear create a simmering state for many employees. When they are terminated, they can react explosively and cause emotional stress to managers and employees, whether they expect it or not. In more severe cases, physical harm may be threatened, which throws the flow of business out the window.

Some companies have panic buttons in conference rooms so that if things escalate, the manager can request help without triggering additional tension between the manager and the employee being terminated. Although panic buttons can be helpful, it is useless if nobody is there to respond to the button's call. When a manager expresses concern about an employee termination, whether for performance, behavior, or an unexpected layoff, emotions can run high, and an uncomfortable situation can turn scary quickly if a manager is not equipped to calm the person

In high-risk workplace scenarios, the temporary need for trained workplace security guards is causing a growing demand for quality security officers with appropriate and effective tactics to help this process go smoothly. What some companies realize after the fact is that investing in security guards and not needing them is a much better alternative than needing them and not having protection. A violent outburst in the workplace can create chaos, disrupt the flow of business, and tarnish a company's reputation.

Preventing Disruption to Business Flow

Offices, retail shops, manufacturing, and construction sites all have a flow to the business day. People depend on routine in their workplace, and disruption can create greater disturbances than many business owners realize. When the flow of the workday is interrupted, most employees can recover when it is either anticipated or insignificant enough that they can re-focus. If you add an angry employee or a threatening environment, you have a long recovery to return to the natural business flow, and productivity suffers. Private workplace security guards are being requested more because business owners and managers can't be certain of how an employee will react to being terminated. It is more likely for an employee whose release is a surprise to respond erratically. Still, even those anticipating it can get emotional and say or do things that create a hostile work environment. No company wants this to occur. No manager wants the employees to feel fear or threatened. The easiest solution is to have privately trained security guards on location.

Private workplace security guards are trained in de-escalation and are skilled in identifying suspicious behaviors that can be red flags for employee termination. Protecting people, property, and assets is the best approach to the unknown.

Proactive Approach to Workplace Safety

Hiring private security guards from a reputable service is the most affordable way to ensure employee safety when an employee termination occurs. Although this is the most secure way to keep the workplace safe, companies who wait can also contact companies with a nationwide presence, like Off Duty Officers, Inc., because we have a full roster of highly trained workplace security officers ready to dispatch.

It is better to be safe than sorry in today's work climate. Security providers are responsible for ensuring that only the most trained and qualified officers arrive on the job, conduct a thorough risk assessment, and partner with managers to provide the highest level of workplace safety. Security guards commonly have backgrounds in military and law enforcement which make them qualified to handle situations and take a proactive approach, addressing concerns before they develop into problems.

Meeting Last-Minute Needs for Security Guards

It would be ideal if every employer and manager could predict when an employee needed to be released. In most cases, there is time to think about keeping employees safe. However, sometimes, an employee acting out or blatantly disregarding company rules and policies may require immediate termination. Providers with decades of experience in workplace security can meet those last-minute needs because they understand the unique nuances of the workplace and how critical it is to maintain a sense of safety during employee terminations.

If you are a business owner, manager, or human resource professional, contact Off Duty Officers today for a free quote. We never hassle our customers or oversell our services. We want every company to get the protection it deserves, which is why we work to find a tailored and affordable workplace safety security solution. Don't hesitate to be prepared.

Contact our security coordinator today at 844-461-2230!