Helping your staff move on after a robbery
Posted on: 14 October 2015
Share
If you have a business that is open unusual hours and handles cash or medication, such as a pharmacy or fast food outlet, robbery is an unfortunate occupational hazard. The after-effects of an attempted robbery can be long-lasting and affect not only the staff on shift at the time of the robbery but also other staff working similar shifts. Here are some tips to help your staff get back to work and feeling confident again.
Implement some new and visible security measures
Even if you have already got great security in place, it can help to have some visible signs out up detailing your security measures. Not only can this help to scare off any potential robbers, it also helps the staff to feel that management is taking the security concerns and their safety seriously. Take the opportunity to revise robbery-related procedures, including which sorts of items stay on site at night and how much cash you keep on site.
Offer counselling to all staff
While it's obvious to offer some counselling to the staff that were directly affected by the incident, it can also be a good idea to offer this service to all staff through an employee assistance plan. For staff on the other shifts these sorts of incidents can trigger memories or anxiety due to other experiences in their personal life, and this can affect their productivity at work going forward. Offering a combination of group debriefs and one-on-one sessions can help people access the counselling that best suits their personal needs and reaction to the crime.
Communicate openly
If the perpetrator is found it can be useful to clearly communicate the legal process to all staff so that everyone has the same information and the rumour mill can take a break. Encourage staff to take part in the legal process as appropriate, including attending police interviews, giving evidence in court or writing victim impact statements. This not only speeds up the legal process but can be cathartic for the staff, helping them regain some feeling of control, which a crime such as robbery can take away.
Robbery not only takes away property from your business, but it also steals your employee's confidence. By clearly addressing the incident and prioritising the physical and emotional health of your staff you can regain some control over the situation. Don't be afraid to bring in outside experts such as counsellors to help you all move forward from this scary incidentr.