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Workplace Safety

An illustration of reporter Courtney Vinopal's headshot.

Courtney Vinopal

hr-brew.com

The recent deadly shooting at an office building in midtown Manhattan was a grim reminder for HR leaders that even in heavily secured workplaces, employees may still be vulnerable to violence.

 by security guards and required employees to scan their badges to enter, a gunman was still able to enter with an assault rifle and kill four people on July 28. Shane Tamura, 27, who had driven from Las Vegas, shot an off-duty police officer, a security guard, and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust’s CEO before making his way to the elevator and going up to the 33rd floor. He then shot and killed an associate with the real estate firm Rudin Management.

Security consultants told HR Brew they’re receiving calls from employers expressing concerns about avoiding a tragedy like the one that occurred at the Park Avenue building, which houses offices for companies including KPMG, Blackstone, and the National Football League (NFL). The shooter claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease caused by repeated head injuries, and targeted the NFL.

An evolving approach to workplace safety. 

Given the prevalence of active shooter incidents that occur in workplaces, some employers 

 in training to prepare staff to respond to violent incidents like this in recent years.

In addition to preparedness, HR teams are thinking about physical security as well. They may coordinate with teams including legal, facilities management, and environmental health and safety, according to Fred Burton, a former police officer and special agent who’s currently executive director of protective intelligence at Ontic, a security management software company.

One common approach Burton said he sees big companies take is forming a working group that meets regularly to discuss potential security threats. HR might flag a former employee, for example, who could present a potential risk for the company (likely in a case of retaliation). “It’s very important that corporate America today coordinates on incidents, and makes sure that everybody’s in the loop as to what kind of problems are persistent,” he said.

Balancing security risks with budget concerns. 

When making the case for these types of investments, HR leaders may have to balance security with budgetary concerns. Security can be costly, and it’s not a revenue generator. Hiring an armed former or off-duty police officer to work in an office lobby could cost upwards of $200 an hour, security executives 

High-profile incidents like the one that occurred on Park Avenue, though, may convince corporate leaders that such investments are worth it. The killing of the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, which occurred just blocks from the Park Avenue office, was a “wake-up call” for corporate America, Burton said. In the aftermath of his death, many companies 

The July 28 shooting seems likely to prompt increased interest in additional measures that could prevent an armed shooter from entering a building and accessing spaces where employees are working, as Tamura did.

John Torres, president of security and technology consulting with Guidepost Solutions, said he’d recently met with companies inquiring about gun-detection systems. Such software monitors security camera footage to alert building management and the police department when an individual walks in with a gun.

As employers’ workplace safety policies evolve, perhaps the toughest takeaway is realizing no one measure is sure to prevent tragedies from occurring. Tamura entered a building with heavy security, in a state with 

, and still took the lives of four people.

“People that want to create this type of harm will find a way to get towards the path of least resistance,” Burton said. “As security evolves, the threats evolve.”

NYC police officer following the shooting

After deadly Manhattan shooting, HR wonders what more it can do

Security consultants said they’re receiving inquiries from employers concerned about preventing a deadly shooting like the one that occurred in midtown Manhattan.

Following Manhattan shooting, employers wonder what more they can do

Mikaela Cohen

No one wants to work in an unsafe space. Sometimes, the best way to keep employees safe is to close up shop.

Target announced this week that it’s closing nine stores in California, New York, Oregon, and Washington because “theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests,” according to a 

. It will be transferring the employees displaced by the closures to other Target stores.

So, what happened, and what can HR leaders learn from it?

 Violence has plagued Target recently. CEO Brian Cornell said during a Q2 earnings call that in the first five months of 2023, the company saw a “120% increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence,” 

Before deciding to close these stores, Target took several steps to make its workplaces more secure. It increased security personnel, introduced “theft-deterrent tools” such as locks on commonly stolen merchandise, and trained employees to “protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues associated with organized retail crime incidents,” the press release stated.

The company also set up an outreach coordinator team to help connect customers experiencing hardships with community resources in an effort to reduce theft, and partnered with associations addressing retail crime in the US.

This isn’t the first time Target workers have 

 in the workplace, and such experiences aren’t unique to the Minneapolis-based retailer. Walmart, Macy’s, and Whole Foods are among the retailers that have also closed stores due to theft and violence, and retail workers, overall, are among those at the highest risk of workplace violence, 

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Crime can happen anywhere. But it’s up to HR leaders, and the CEO and board, to make sure an environment is safe for workers, Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford, 

 by hosting regular training sessions to teach employees to protect themselves, forming partnerships with local law enforcement, and installing security technology.

But as in the case of Target, even those measures are no guarantee.

Target closes 9 stores after threats to workers’ safety

Retail workers are at high risk of workplace violence, according to the CDC. Protecting them should be top of mind for HR pros.

Kristen Parisi

It’d be nice if Covid went away for good, but just like Nickelback, it never quite seems to. And as mandatory RTO is in full swing for many companies heading into the fall, it appears the virus may be joining employees back in the office as 

HR Brew spoke with Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, about how HR leaders can help workplaces respond to rising Covid cases.

 The number of positive Covid tests and hospitalizations has been rising since mid-June, with a 13.5% positivity rate in the week ending Sep. 2, up from around 4% in June, 

With that, some doctors are recommending that high-risk individuals or their caretakers start masking again to protect themselves, 

. “It’s riskier that you will get infected now than it was a month or two ago, without question, probably twice as risky. If you’re trying to be careful, it’s time to whip out the mask again,” Robert Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, said.

“A lot of places are bringing people back [to the office] and forgetting that there was this Covid thing,” Wallace told HR Brew. She said that it’s important for employers to remember that a combination of mitigation efforts will be helpful in reducing the spread of Covid.

“I’m not saying everyone in their office needs to have a mask on, but if you’re in a crowded conference room, [it’s] not a bad idea,” she said, adding that people should consider practicing social distancing, wash their hands, and make sure they’re up to date on their vaccinations.

Wallace also recommended employers “try to be a little more flexible right now with hybrid work schedules, and [make] sure that they don’t have a ton of people sharing space on the same days.”

If an employee does test positive, the CDC recommends they stay home 

, and mask days six through 10. Wallace said that with these guidelines still in place, employers should not be penalizing employees who have to be out of the office due to a positive Covid test. Since most states have retired their Covid leave policies, HR might consider offering 

 such as flexible work to stop the spread.

Finally, HR can encourage employees to get their latest Covid booster shot, the same way some encourage employees to get their annual flu shot. The latest protection against Covid won’t be 

 mid-September, but Wallace noted, “It’s part of the wellness routine for fall.”

How employers can keep employees safe from Covid

With Covid cases on the rise, an epidemiologist shares workplace mitigation measures.

How employers can respond as Covid cases rise

, have taken a toll not only on productivity but also on worker 

 a hazard alert reminding employers of their general duty to protect workers in the heat, but the federal government has yet to implement a 

 to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.

HR departments have a hand in creating policies that ensure workers can continue to work safely amid extreme weather events. Here are a few ways HR pros can consider adjusting their policies in light of record-breaking heat.

Rather than shutting down operations entirely, employers in high-risk industries like construction and warehousing may “try to move shifts, if it can be done, to later times, or rotate more people through,” John Ho, co-chair of the OSHA workplace safety practice at law firm Cozen O’Connor, told HR Brew.

Staff at DPR Construction, which has operations in multiple states, including those with historically hot climates like Florida, Texas, and Arizona, are “accustomed to working shifts that avoid peak heat of mid- to late afternoon,” Jose Garza, national environment, health, and safety leader with the firm, said via email. In addition to starting earlier, he said DPR “phases work at different times of day to take advantage of working in shaded areas of the site.”

Some firms go as far as putting employees on the night shift when there are heat waves. NPR spoke to a construction company in Phoenix that did this in 2016, with workers 

Employers who are able to offer flexible work will find this helpful during heat waves, Mansoor Soomro, a senior lecturer in sustainability and international business, leadership, management, and human resources at Teesside University International Business School, 

Offering remote or hybrid work, as well as shortened workdays, “cuts down on commuting, which can further drain employees’ energy. Employees can also feel more comfortable in the heat at home thanks to dressing informally,” he said.

Investing in technology is another potential solution to ensuring worker safety in the heat. McCarthy Building Companies, which installs solar panels, has outfitted employees with wearable tech to monitor workers’ core body temperatures, HR Brew 

. The devices warn shift supervisors when employees exceed their heat threshold.

Some construction firms are now using AI to help forecast weather, as well, and adjust their projects if necessary, the 

The proliferation of severe climate and weather events points to a need for HR to develop risk management plans, Shankar Raman, global leader for the technology industry group at Willis Towers Watson, 

 when developing a heat response plan. Though plans will differ depending on the industry or business, they should ensure workers receive additional rest periods, as well as adequate access to shade and water, especially if they’re outdoors, he said. Employers should consider giving new employees time to acclimate to the weather, as well, starting them on a two-hour shift, for example, before they take on a longer one. HR should spend time training employees and supervisors to spot signs of heat stress as well.

As leaders develop response plans, they should seek employee feedback if they can, Ho said. “OSHA likes to see employee involvement in preparing the policy…employees are the ones that are doing most of the work.”

Climate thermometer with earth at the center

How HR should respond to record heat 

 A proliferation of severe climate and weather events may indicate that HR needs to adapt.

How HR can tailor workplace policies to address heat waves

 many workers face in the heat into focus. On July 27, the Biden administration put employers on alert, reminding them of their responsibilities to protect workers in these conditions.

Here’s what HR pros should know about that alert, as well as about new reporting requirements and AI guidance for workers with visual disabilities.

As temperatures soared in parts of the Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a hazard 

 reminding employers of their responsibilities to protect workers in the heat.

 at the request of President Biden, states that “employers have a legal and moral responsibility not to assign work in high heat conditions without protections in place for workers.” To comply with federal law, it recommends that employers:

ensure workers have access to water, rest, and shade

allow new or returning workers time to build up tolerance to the heat

train employees on preventing and responding to heat illness

The administration also signaled that the DOL will step up inspections of companies in “high-risk industries like construction and agriculture” for heat safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t yet have a heat-specific workplace standard, though it has been 

EEOC issues guidance on AI for individuals with visual disabilities. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released 

 for employers who use algorithms or AI in their decision-making.

Should employees or applicants with visual disabilities request “reasonable accommodations” in connection with this software, employers must provide them, per the EEOC guidance.

If an organization uses an algorithm to assess an employee’s productivity by keystrokes per minute, for example, an employee who uses voice recognition software due to a visual impairment may be rated poorly, thus missing out on a promotion or opportunity, the EEOC said. The agency recommends employers inform employees and applicants about the technology they’re using, along with instructions for seeking a reasonable accommodation.

 in May intended to help employers determine whether the AI they use is discriminatory.

Employers with at least 100 employees in “certain high-hazard industries” will be 

 on work-related illnesses and injuries electronically each year, according to 

 issued by OSHA on July 17. Industries affected by the new rule include hospitals, warehousing, and food manufacturing. Organizations will have to submit their company name along with the electronic report.

The rule, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is intended to help the public make “informed decisions” about a company’s workplace safety and health record, 

Employers with 250 or more workers already have to submit injury and illness information electronically, and will continue to do so under this rule.

The agency will share some of the data they collect on a public website, leaving off individuals’ names and contact information. Making the data available online, OSHA said, “will allow members of the public to determine which workplaces in a particular industry are the safest, and identify emerging injury and illness trends in particular industries.”

Legislative Lowdown recurring feature illustration

What HR should know about Biden’s heat hazard alert

Employers have a “legal and moral responsibility” to protect workers from the heat, the Department of Labor states in a recent alert. 

Legislative lowdown: DOL issues heat hazard alert, EEOC releases AI guidance, and more

Whether you’re crankier than usual, avoiding turning on the oven, or extending your grocery shopping just to soak up some free AC, the summer heat is getting to all of us.

Europe is being hit hard, and the northern part of the region is predicted to see some of the 

biggest relative increase in heat exposure

 in the world. People who work outdoors are bearing the brunt of the changes as their governments try to adapt.

 from heat-related causes last summer, the government will send some construction and agriculture workers home under a provision in its furlough rules that says Italian companies may apply to put their employees on temporary layoffs, 

. In Greece, Acropolis workers voted to strike to protest working conditions caused by 113-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, 

, labor laws protect workers from unsafe working conditions, including mandating a water provision for construction workers, and 

 is currently working on heat legislation for outdoor workers.

“Mitigating the effects of exposure to heat is what is required and this will depend on the individual and the workplace. It is a health and safety matter where assessment is key,” Martin Williams, head of employment at UK law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter, 

 In the US, 36 workers died from heat exposure in 2021, the lowest number since 2017, according 

 for outdoor workers amid the hottest days of the year.

Employers may need to consider how to shift work schedules to accommodate the intense weather. “Contemporary work arrangements like remote work, hybrid work, four-day weeks…and six-hours-a-day working days in a week instead of eight hours are proving to be helpful in heat wave situations,” Mansoor Soomro, a senior lecturer in sustainability and international business at Teesside University International Business School in the UK, 

Here’s hoping cooler weather and pumpkin spice lattes are around the corner.

The top of a globe with a phone, notebook, laptop, glasses, iPad and coffee cup floating above it

Heat wave impacts European workers

Workers in Athens go on strike, while some in Italy are furloughed amid unsafe working conditions.

World of HR: The global heat wave is affecting Europe’s workforce

 frontline workers being verbally or physically 

. Just take last month’s aggression toward Target workers 

And these incidents appear to be having an impact. Frontline workers, including those employed in retail and healthcare, are afraid for their safety, according to 

 The survey found 58% of frontline workers feel the risk of physical harm on the job is rising, and the majority of healthcare (59%) and retail (58%) workers fear being subject to “erratic or aggressive behavior.”

And there appears to be a disconnect between management and their workforces: 67% of leaders said they think their employees feel safe, but just 37% of workers reported actually feeling safe.

Some 43% of surveyed employers said the lack of workplace safety has impacted their recruitment and retention efforts. Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford, told HR Brew that it ultimately falls to HR, as well as the CEO and board, to make sure an environment is safe for workers.

“With respect to mental health, physical health; with respect to just the safety of the workplace—they [workers] have entrusted their well-being in a variety of dimensions to the organization,” he said. “This comes at least from the head of HR, but frankly, I think this is a CEO and board of directors responsibility.”