Employee Monitoring: Building a Secure Workforce in the Utilities Industry
August 22 2022
With a Serious Injuries & Fatalities (SIF) rate seven points higher than the all-industry SIF rate, it’s crucial that leaders in the utilities industry take every possible measure to mitigate risk and improve workplace safety. Prioritizing a safe workplace not only keeps employees happy and healthy, but it also protects your customers and shields your company from costly, reputation-damaging lawsuits. That’s why your utilities business should focus on safety in every facet of operations, from your hiring process to how you manage current employees.
While running background checks is a good start, it doesn’t account for employees’ current behaviors. Employee monitoring makes up for this by sending you near real-time alerts when a current employee is arrested. Here are some reasons why Continuous Criminal Monitoring could be a key part to developing a safer workforce in the Utilities industry:
How Workforce Monitoring Keeps the Utilities Industry Secure
Reduce Workplace Violence
Workplace violence often gets overlooked as one of the bigger threats to utilities workers’ wellbeing. Unfortunately, much of the violence that threatens your employees comes from angry customers. In these situations, it’s crucial that your workforce is trained on how to deescalate risky situations and is capable of doing so. Regularly confirming that your employees’ records are clean of violent crimes gives everyone an extra layer of security when interactions with customers go awry.
Continuous Criminal Monitoring also helps to prevent workplace violence between workers by ensuring no current employees have recently displayed a pattern of violence. Often, what’s going on outside of work will eventually find its way in. Employee monitoring is the best way to catch and prevent risky behaviors before they pose a threat to your workplace’s safety.
Mitigate Company Vehicle & Machinery Risk
Motor vehicle incidents are the leading cause of SIF cases in the utilities industry, accounting for 30% of these incidents. Industry leaders do need to do everything they can to prevent these accidents. This starts with only allowing qualified, responsible drivers to operate vehicles and heavy machinery. With driver monitoring, which regularly scans employees’ motor vehicle records, you’ll have an extra layer of security that solidifies your trust in the employees who operate company vehicles & machinery.
This feature also gives employers the opportunity to offer defensive driving classes or other educational resources to employees who need to improve their skills. In severe cases, employers will have the information they need to suspend or revoke driving privileges from employees who prove to be unsafe behind the wheel.
Give Customers Peace of Mind
Developing a trustworthy brand hugely impacts your company’s performance. For example, customers with high brand trust are three times more likely to recommend your services to others than those with low brand trust. So where do you start? Consider the dynamic between customers and employees. It’s intimate; field workers often work in or near your customers’ homes for extended periods of time. Many times, these situations require customers and employees to be alone together, which can induce fear for either party.
One way to thwart customers’ fears and help them trust your company is to inform them that you regularly scan workers’ criminal records to maintain the safest possible workforce. Let them know that, with continuous monitoring, your company goes above and beyond at keeping neighborhoods safe by ensuring that you never send violent criminals or registered sex offenders to peoples’ homes.
Be There for Employees When They Need Help
A functional and safe utilities team relies on employees who are at their 100%. Often, people who need help struggle to ask for it. Employee monitoring can be a great tool for developing a compassionate workplace, one where employees feel taken care of. For example, if you see an employee arrested for a minor charge related to drug or alcohol abuse, you can connect them to employee assistance programs that will help them get back on track.
When other employees notice that you approach these situations proactively and with compassion, they will likely feel more comfortable communicating when they need help as well. A workplace built on trust and understanding is one that inspires employees to do their best work and leaves space for healthy communication.
Use Modern Technology to Keep Your Workplace Safe
The latest innovation in background screening, Continuous Criminal Monitoring, scans nationwide arrest data 24/7 to send near real-time alerts when a current employee gets arrested. We offer customizable solutions based on your company’s unique needs, with compliance always built in. Modernize your screening process by working employee monitoring into your company’s security strategy. Now, you can rest easy knowing that you will receive instant, actionable arrest data on current employees that will help you make the best decisions for your utilities company.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.