From our previous posts, hotel and resort management and ownership should have a general understanding and appreciation for the advancement of legislation across the country and municipalities requiring the use of Panic Buttons for staff. While the most important feature of this movement is the priority to keep your employees safe and secure, there are unseen financial and business consequences if your property fails to initiate these changes regardless of any legal requirements.
A general cautionary note is warranted providing your property dismisses these concerns. Subject to your municipality legislating any Panic Button requirements for your area, it is still a prudent business decision to implement these changes directly.
Why?
The financial risks involved in a cost-benefit analysis are in favor of the application of Panic Buttons.
In the event your property is found lax or negligent from the result of an employee or guest assaulted on your premises, the consequences could result in lasting financial and brand damage with disastrous outcomes.
The sweeping industry awareness of these concerns creates a reasonable likely scenario that statistically an assault can and will happen on your premises. In an unwillingness to provide some form of safety and security for employees or guests to diminish the likelihood of such an assault, your business has been exposed legally thus financially. With the ease of acquiring easily affordable Panic Buttons through the copious amount of vendors, that foreseeable vulnerability has increased your legal risks tenfold.
The conclusion becomes you knew about the risks and you chose to ignore them exposing your staff and guests—to whom you owe a duty of care—to harm. This duty was breached and as a result, the claimant was injured. The injury was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of this breach.
Better to be safe than sorry.
The most serious harm will be to your business brand or reputation. Thanks to the internet, a bad review or a critical news story lives forever and has long-lasting consequences, specifically financial damages. A proper investigative journalist will research and expose any vulnerabilities with an urgency in protecting the workforce and the public if given credible justification. Historical evidence suggests this is how employer negligence is exposed and eventually regulated.
Whether you agree with it or not, the #MeToo movement exposed an alarming and predatory trend of assault which resulted in victims asserting their rights under the law. They will seek protections and help from a sympathetic audience. If they do not find this protection and help in their employers, they will look towards the public to assist them in the form of the internet which will often resort in negative media exposure. This kind of publicity will likely cause speculation of other risks and vulnerabilities to employees and guests: Are rooms safe? Am I, a guest, at risk? Is my family at risk? Has this happened before? What about other safety features like fire prevention or property protection? If they don't take care of their employees, how can I reasonably expect them to take care of me and my family, their guests?
Regardless, a Panic Button System shouldn't require a cost-benefit analysis when the safety of a life is a stake, but here we are. Fortunately, the demand for Panic Buttons has driven prices to an acceptable and affordable level.
With this outcome, employees now feel a sense of empowerment that has lasting positive effects on morale and employee retention.
BEC Integrated Solutions can provide your property with the necessary Panic Buttons to meet recently legislated regulations and remain compliant on any current or impending laws in your municipality. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or for a free quote. Committed to our customers, we offer the most reliable and affordable Panic Button options on the market today.
BEC Integrated Solutions has additional Security Options for your property if you are looking for other security needs. We have a dedicated team of customer service professionals to help educate and guide you. Please contact BEC Integrated Solutions for a free quote or check out our website to chat with our customer service team. We are here to help you.
