Lone Working in Hospitality
Providing a service while facing considerable risk
Hospitality staff working alone late into the night to provide customers with the best possible service, often encounter abusive, aggressive and, at times, even violent behaviour.
The uncomfortable truth is that any customer-facing staff is at risk of violence and assault during the course of just ‘doing their job’. Emergency calls into the Peoplesafe Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) from hotel workers doubled over the summer months of 2020 compared to 2019.
Working late into the evening, or early hours of the morning, also means that employees may need to travel to or from work during unsociable hours. This often poses an additional threat to their personal safety.
Providing an instant response
Peoplesafe recently came to the rescue of a hotel receptionist struggling to deal with rowdy and abusive hotel guests. As the situation became critical, she activated her discreet Peoplesafe personal panic button alerting one of our 24/7 Alarm Controllers who was able to listen in and contact the police, bypassing the 999 system. Within minutes, the police had arrived on the scene to restore order.
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Capturing it all on camera
Equipping receptionists, security guards and front of house staff with body worn video technology acts as an effective deterrent for abusive behaviour. Use of Peoplesafe lone worker systems in other industry sectors, such as healthcare and law enforcement, has demonstrated how bodycams can significantly reduce the frequency of confrontational incidents for frontline workers.
As well as positively changing people’s behaviour, body worn cameras also provide a means to document an incident and capture valuable evidence.
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The risks for hospitality staff
Hospitality workers are commonly exposed to risks as part of their job description. They may be required to check staff in late at night; handle cash; deal with potentially aggressive or confrontational customers; confront visitors causing a scene; and potentially handle customers who have consumed alcohol.
Read our report containing original research on how safety is impacting the hospitality industry.
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Hospitality Lone Working FAQs
What risks do lone workers face in the hospitality industry?
Hospitality workers may work alone late at night or in the early hours, handle cash, deal with aggressive or confrontational customers and interact with people who have consumed alcohol. Employees travelling to or from work during unsociable hours may also face additional personal safety risks.
How can lone worker technology help protect hospitality staff?
Lone worker technology can give hospitality employees a discreet way to raise an alarm if they feel threatened or need emergency assistance. Peoplesafe safety solutions can connect employees to trained Alarm Controllers who can assess the situation and arrange an appropriate response.
What happens when a hospitality worker activates a panic alarm?
When a Peoplesafe panic alarm is activated, an alert is sent to the 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre. An Alarm Controller can listen to what is happening, assess the situation and take action, including contacting the police when required.
Can body worn cameras improve safety for hospitality workers?
Body worn cameras can provide visible protection for receptionists, security staff and other customer-facing employees. They can help deter abusive behaviour and provide recorded evidence when an incident occurs.
Which hospitality employees may benefit from personal safety technology?
Personal safety technology may be particularly useful for employees who work alone, work late or unsociable hours, handle cash or regularly deal with members of the public. This can include receptionists, front-of-house teams and security staff.
How can Peoplesafe support hospitality businesses?
Peoplesafe provides personal safety solutions including panic alarms, lone worker systems and body worn cameras, supported by its Alarm Receiving Centre. The appropriate solution will depend on the roles, working environment and risks faced by the organisation’s employees.
