Do You Feel Safe/Secure at Work?

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

I work in a very public place.

I work directly with the public.

Of late, I have had a few encounters that have made my "spidey sense" tingle.  I have this feeling that we are being "reconnaissanced".  Nothing solid to base that feeling on, just my gut (which is more often than not fairly accurate) and some interactions with some customers.  I am not sure who to talk to about it at work -- my manager, HR, the local big honcho, the security folks, etc.  

My employer has a solid reputation in and of itself, but was involved in an international incident, so there is a small segment out there that may want to do it harm.

Then there is the larger "evil U.S." contingent.

I'm not the type to let fear run my life so it doesn't affect my daily functioning.  But, I'd hate to keep my feelings to myself and then have something happen, kwim?  Then again, I don't necessarily want to be viewed as the crazy, paranoid employee either.  

So, do you feel safe at work?  Do you see the potential for problems from outsiders (i.e., not so much employees who go postal).  Are you confident in the security measures there?  Who would you speak to if you had concerns?

[sarcasticgirl]

ACK- that is unnerving. I would start with your manager and see where that leads you.


I feel relatively safe at work. I work for a pretty large law firm in a high rise building downtown. It isn't so high rise that it would be a target for something 9/11-ish. there are buildings around it that are taller.  I am a decent enough distance (6+ blocks) from those type of target buildings in the city (i.e. sears tower, hancock etc)
The building has decent security measures... Badge to get in to the elevator banks, badge to get into the doors once you get to my floor etc. I'm fairly close to a stairwell. 

[zibazinski]

I started to feel unsafe toward the end of my teaching career. I kept hoping the shooter would go inside the building and not pick off PE like we were sitting ducks, which we were. 

[alabamagal]

Well I worked on a military base when the Fort Hood shooting happened.

I'm not paranoid, but bad things can happen anywhere.  I'm sure the people who worked at a movie theater were not afraid until the guy in Colorado.  Teachers at an elementary school probably felt ok (not like middle school or high school) until the incident in Connecticut.  No TSA agents had been killed at work until this weekend.

When I worked at a large Fortune 500 company I had 2 employees (out of ~100) that had serious mental issues.  The type I would not be surprised if they were involved in a serious incident.

[Deleted]

One of the perks of this job is there is almost zero interaction with the public. We are in a small business park & there's only 2 floors to the buildings. I'd jump out the window if I had to. 


ETA: the biggest mental issue that my co-workers suffer from is Social Anxiety Disorder. 

[milee]

GRG, any good employer would want to know what you're seeing here.

Obviously you don't want to create the impression that you're paranoid, but you do need to pass along that info ASAP.  Think about writing a memo that describes in completely noninflammatory language what happened in each encounter.  Your tone should be factual with no editorial.  Copies to your manager, HR and security.  One or more people are likely to ignore something like this or think it's outside their responsibility, that's why you need to send multiple people copies.

Don't ignore your spidey sense with security issues.  Nobody saw the Boston Marathon bombings coming.  You don't have to be the White House to be a target, unfortunately.

[NancysSummerSip]

No, unfortunately this is not a safe building.
Public is in and out all the time - there have been property thefts in the past. And some very strange folks have wandered in, looking for offices that are not located here. I would prefer our door be kept locked, but it isn't. And the outside doors are not secured in any way, because we have doctors and lawyers offices in the building, and their clients need to get in/out freely.

I've been looking for a new job for awhile, and one of the things I am looking at is the physical security of any new building.

[wvugurl26]

I'm sure they proclaim the building is secure but I don't drink that Kool Aid. However, that's just more of a thought that any federal facility could be a target as opposed to what you refer to, specific incidents. There are several federal facilities clustered around and we are in a spectacularly bad neighborhood. Bad as in kidnappings and armed robberies and shootings in broad daylight.

I like milee's idea of listing out the specific incidents.

[Phoenix84]

I work on a fairly large federal installation.  The gates have armed guards who check the ID of everyone coming on the premsis.  We also have the federal protective service on site.  In addition, all the buildings are locked and you need a government ID to enter them, or sign in with an armed guard if you're a guest.  Furthermore, I don't work with the public at all. 

So overall, I feel pretty safe.  The public can come on site though, if they have ID.  And of course there's always the danger of a disgruntaled employee.

If I had concerns, I'd follow the signs that are posted everywhere that say "if you see something, say something."  I'd talk to the FPS.  Which I think would be security in your case. 

I would talk to your boss and/or security.  It may be nothing, but if security is doing it's job, they will take your concerns seriously. 

Do you think someone is scoping it out to harm employees, or is it coorperate espionage?

[Phoenix84]

I concur with Milee's suggestion.  Putting your concerns in writing will help you organize them.  Write/speak in a factual tone, describing exactly what happened and why it made you feel uncomfortable.  If you act unsure or act like you think you're wrong, no one will believe you.

[Cookies Galore]

I feel safe at work but I still make it a policy to be nice to everyone here. If someone were to lose it one day, I don't want to be a target!
We need a badge to get in the building, to get past the lobby, to use the elevators, and to use the stairwell doors. We deal with secure information so these measures are to protect our business, not personnel. Lol.

[constanz22]

Yes and no.  Mostly no, but I try not to think too much about it, or I wouldn't be able to do my job.  LOL.  I am a social worker and I do the majority of my work in clients homes.  Most are or have a history of mental illness.  Most of the homes are in areas of drugs, gangs, etc.  Thankfully, I have not had too many clients over the last almost 14 years that made me feel unsafe, but I'd have to guess that I'm more unsafe than I know many times, either because of the neighborhood, other individuals in the home or apartment building, etc.  The only close call that I really remember was a clients home was raided 15 minutes after I left, they shot up the house, shot the family dog, etc.  The only "comfort" I had in that was that I heard that they were watching the house, saw me leave with the client and her children, and bring her home.  They knew that I was no longer in the home, nor were her children when they did the raid. 

There are safety issues in the office as well.  We have several programs that serve mentally ill and parolees that are regularly in our building.  There is security, but no metal detectors, etc in our building.  We have security doors that you need a badge to enter, but I can't tell you how many times they are left open.  Plus all of the clientele that are behind the security doors anyway meeting with people. 

Thanks, now I'm even more freaked out.

[milee]

Constanz,

One of my audit clients in Phoenix was a provider of mental health services (mostly to homeless people) and although the clients weren't usually in the office area, the bathrooms were in the main area and sometimes had interesting and exciting things happening in them. 

Another client was a methadone clinic in a really awful part of town and similar client base.  This was before widespread use of AIDS treatment drugs, and most of the clients were not only Heroin addicts, but also had AIDS due to needle sharing.  That was not a bathroom I liked to use.

A third was a residential treatment program for teens who had committed crimes.  Luckily, that one at least had bathrooms outside the secure area where the clients were.

At all those places, I was always there in a suit and heels.  Nothing like standing out like a sore thumb. 

And then I was a CASA for foster kids.  Similar to you, most of my experiences were not unsafe, but the neighborhoods were sketchy.

[cronewitch]

Our buildings are open to the public four outside doors to this building unlocked all day. Quitting time I lock all the doors, if I am not last to leave I leave one open, if I am last the last other out locks that one because I am a chicken female. The security guard comes around about once an hour and if anything bothers me I can call security.

Coworkers going postal is the main risk. We hire mostly male union construction types and a few work release. Sometimes someone who was fired will get angry and a couple of times we were given a photo and told call the police if we see them. The police did have to take one away.

Mostly I am surrounded by men who believe in protecting women so I can call security or the plant superintendent or anyone to come deal with scary people is I am not brave enough. Luckily I am pretty brave so when a guy was where he didn't belong I just asked him if I could help him and he knew enough to leave. I called security to keep an eye on him and he was fired the next day. Employee of a customer who trespassed on another customers ship which was against his employment contract so fired and escorted off the property.

[muttleynfelix]

Overall, I feel very safe. I work in a very small office on the second floor of a 2 story building. Our clients have trouble finding the only door into our office.  We only get 1 or 2 visitors a week. On the flip side though, if something were to happen and someone was blocking the door out, we'd have to jump out the windows to get out!  Thankfully we have some trees right out one side and the business below us has an awning. I think I could get out without killing myself. The bad news is that if someone stormed the building, I would probably be dead before I could get out. There is no place to hide in our office.

That said, our cars are not safe at all.  Most of the stuff happens on the weekends, but we are right next door to a private school. The 3 restaurants on the block all serve alcohol.  One time my coworker left his car over the weekend and took the work truck home and he had a window shot out of his vehicle ... the funny thing is he leaves his doors unlocked, so if they wanted in they could have just gotten in. We think it was a stray BB gun type stupidity thing. There was nothing for them to steal.   Then the work truck was broken into.  I am so mad at the guys over that one. They left the freakin laptop in the truck overnight. The window of the truck was broken out and the laptop was gone the next morning.  WTF were they thinking!  I'd been wondering about the laptop and I should have gotten on their case about bringing it in, but I'm not their boss and it really would have been out of place for me to say something.  My boss decided not to replace the laptop.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I worked on a large university campus which was downtown. There were times when I was at work late at night or early in the morning where I got the heebee jeebees. I guess a little too much Robin Cook in my brain.

But when I first started working on my degree, I was leaving after 10 pm. Normally, I had a path to the parking garage that took me through the buildings, so I didn't have to walk around the hospital. One night I was running a little late and security was locking the outside doors so I couldn't cut through, and he didn't want to take the time to escort me to my car. I went myself, but it was NOT a comfortable feeling.

After that, I parked closest to the building where I would be leaving at night, rather than working during the day. It was also an area that was much better lit and along a busier road. But even so, I did tend to park in the areas under a lamp and right next to the stairwell, so I could get immediately to my car.

It didn't help in the few years before I left, there were an increasing number of assaults happening on campus. It was not uncommon to get 3-4 messages/week about assaults on women. NOT a comfortable feeling.

[michelyn8]

No I don't feel safe at work - I work in a chemical plant.  Its not from any outside threat (even though we do have security guidelines from DHS to follow) but more just from the possibility that all it would take is one freak accident or someone being careless and this place could go BOOM or release toxic gas into the atmosphere or both.  We had a shelter in place last week due to a fan exploding.  Because of the area it was in (sulfur), we had to lockdown until an assessment was done.  A couple of years ago, we had to SIP due to a neighboring company receiving a suspicious package. Their offices are so close to our facility that any explosion there could have set off something here.

Of course, I'll probably contract lung cancer from the benzene or other chemicals in the dust before anything really serious happens. 

[teen persuasion]

I work in a public library, so anyone and everyone is encouraged to come in.  I often work alone, as well.

Generally, I feel safe, since it is in a small community where everyone knows everyone else, and we tend to watch out for one another as well.  There are one or two individuals that I'm not entirely comfortable with, though.  One is an older adult that roams the community all day long.  He's a bit eccentric, doesn't talk much, not sociable at all.  I often have to tell him it is closing time and he has to leave.  He never checks books out, but he will pick up unusual books to read for a few minutes, like Helter Skelter.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I do.  I occasionally worry about being held up since I sit behind a cash register, but I figure they'll knock over the payday lending place or liquor store down at the end of the shopping center if a robbery were to happen here.

I do get a little freaked out when my security company calls me at night.  It's only happened twice.  The most recent one was last night at 11:30 or so.  They heard a loud crashing sound in my shop.  No door alarms were triggered.  They played the audio for me over the phone and asked if I wanted them to turn it over to the police.  I live less than two minutes away, so I knew I could beat the police here.  I told them to stand by while I looked first.  You can get a ticket for false alarms to the police.  I threw on shoes and a jacket, grabbed car keys and a sword and drove over to check it out.  Yes I spent the drive wondering what the hell I planned to do with a sword if I drove up and my shop was actually being robbed.

Turned out it was nothing.  The hoberman sphere we had suspended from the ceiling fell and knocked some things off a shelf.

[raeoflyte]

omg--I love that you brought a sword!  

I'm pretty sure I work within walking distance to Phoenix.  We should do lunch sometime!  (And talk about the weather and other inconsequentials to make sure we don't piss each other off).  

Yes I feel safe.  Although my nightmare last night was about really horrible things happening at my office (and to my current co-workers).  So maybe I should re-think that?  

[greeniis10]

Hahaha!  LOVE the sword, Dark!  You probably would have given them the impression that you were too crazy for them to mess with.  Glad it was just a false alarm, though.

[greeniis10]

I'm not very safe at my office at all.  I'm in a small office in a small building that has 8 other offices in it.  Kind of like a strip mall, but nicer because we're in a historic district by the train station.  Problem is all of the other offices are the public defenders of the city and also the busiest court services place in town - where people go to get their ankle monitors, do their anger management classes, etc.  I'm surrounded by angry crazies most of the time!

I keep on the watch at all times.  I have pepper spray by one hand and the office phone by the other, but mainly I'm just watchful of who is wandering around out there...

[Peace Of Mind]

Nov 4, 2013 9:33:15 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

I work in a very public place.

I work directly with the public.

Of late, I have had a few encounters that have made my "spidey sense" tingle.  I have this feeling that we are being "reconnaissanced".  Nothing solid to base that feeling on, just my gut (which is more often than not fairly accurate) and some interactions with some customers.  I am not sure who to talk to about it at work -- my manager, HR, the local big honcho, the security folks, etc.  

My employer has a solid reputation in and of itself, but was involved in an international incident, so there is a small segment out there that may want to do it harm.

Then there is the larger "evil U.S." contingent.

I'm not the type to let fear run my life so it doesn't affect my daily functioning.  But, I'd hate to keep my feelings to myself and then have something happen, kwim?  Then again, I don't necessarily want to be viewed as the crazy, paranoid employee either.  

So, do you feel safe at work?  Do you see the potential for problems from outsiders (i.e., not so much employees who go postal).  Are you confident in the security measures there?  Who would you speak to if you had concerns?

If you said this a few years ago I'd probably tell you to try a different drug because you are hallucinating on this one.     But with the way things that have been going on lately and with where you live - I'd say something to management. It couldn't hurt and it may not only help but save lives. Just make sure you stay on the specifics of what made you nervous and why it concerned you.  Try to keep emotion out of it.  Do you guys keep a lot of cash where you work?  It could be somebody casing the place for robbery or it could be another nut job bomber. 

I've always felt safe when I worked.  I was in banking for many years (off and on) and when I was a teller at 19 we were taught various things to do.  #1  on the list was do what they say and give them what they want.  Money was not worth anybody's life.   And there were little tricks to help catch them which are antiquated today. 

I hope you're wrong and that you are safe!

[Sum Dum Gai]

omg--I love that you brought a sword! 

I don't own a gun, the garage is a disaster so it would have taken me forever to dig up a bat, the sword rack is on the wall in the living room and I was like, well, if there are burglars in there I don't want to be totally unarmed.  No idea what I would have done with a sword though.  I don't think I'd be charging in to hack em up.  I was just running over to see if there was actually anyone in the store then I probably would have sat in the car and called the cops.

I felt like a total dork walking back into the house in the middle of the night with a sword.

[Sam_2.0]

Generally, yes. But we had a disgruntled customer make it into the building and up the elevators the other day (you have to use a security badge to get out of the elevator lobbies on each floor, though). Thankfully no one let them in and security noticed people acting weird and went to get them. They drove over an hour just to get here! scary scary stuff. And I had one guy threaten to go get a gun & come back when we had a community event, so now we take security personnel with us. The one our team takes is actually a police officer in my town part-time, so I feel pretty safe when he is with us.

[sheilaincali]

Yes- for the most part I feel safe where I work.  Monday through Friday there are usually 3 or 4 other people in the office with me and 20 people out in the manufacturing area.  I get along with everyone well- honestly if a disgruntled employee was going to start shooting they'd go after my brother first. 

It's not in the world's greatest neighborhood.  It's in an industrial area in the "bad" part of town but we've been here since the 1950's. 

We have an 8 foot tall end that surrounds the place and a large rolling gate.  When I go in on the weekends like I did yesterday I shut the gate and lock myself in.  Did freak me out yesterday because the door beeps when it opens and it was really windy so the door would open just enough to trigger the sensor.  So I kept hearing beeps like someone was opening the door.  Finally I remember to turn my damn security monitor on so I could see if there was anyone walking in after the door beep would sound.

[Phoenix84]

Nov 4, 2013 14:04:38 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I do.  I occasionally worry about being held up since I sit behind a cash register, but I figure they'll knock over the payday lending place or liquor store down at the end of the shopping center if a robbery were to happen here.

I do get a little freaked out when my security company calls me at night.  It's only happened twice.  The most recent one was last night at 11:30 or so.  They heard a loud crashing sound in my shop.  No door alarms were triggered.  They played the audio for me over the phone and asked if I wanted them to turn it over to the police.  I live less than two minutes away, so I knew I could beat the police here.  I told them to stand by while I looked first.  You can get a ticket for false alarms to the police.  I threw on shoes and a jacket, grabbed car keys and a sword and drove over to check it out.  Yes I spent the drive wondering what the hell I planned to do with a sword if I drove up and my shop was actually being robbed.

Turned out it was nothing.  The hoberman sphere we had suspended from the ceiling fell and knocked some things off a shelf.

A real sword?  What do you have a real sword for?

Who knows?  Maybe it would have been the Huns or something.  I hope your fencing is up to snuff.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I have a torso mannequin wearing a maille hauberk on the nook above the coat closet, Frank Frazetta prints on the walls, and a sword rack in between.  It needed some swords on it.

Who knows? Maybe it would have been the Huns or something. I hope your fencing is up to snuff.

Compared to most of the global population I'm pretty good with a sword, but that's not saying much since most of the rest of the population has never even held one.  It's been years since I've sparred with one.

My older daughter wants to learn though, so maybe we'll take it up again together.

Sometimes I convince myself that I'm normal, then I have to write a post like this and remember that I'm a giant dork.

[Tennesseer]

GRG-if you have never read it, may I recommend The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.  I read it years ago and it was very informative.

[Deleted]

No, I don't necessarily feel safe at work, but I don't dwell on it. No, I don't trust the security measures that are in place. There have been things that I think should've been taken seriously and investigated, but they weren't.

We've had a few bomb threats over the years, but although I think the threats should always be taken seriously, I also think that if someone means business they aren't likely to warn us first. It's suppose to be a secure building but anybody that really wants in can figure it out. Employees certainly know how to get in without going through the "security" measures. And honestly, I worry more about a disgruntled employee than random people. We've had a few employees that had their pictures posted everywhere with instructions to call security immediately if we saw them on the premises. Then there's the risk of unknowingly coming into contact with a harmful substance at work.

That's a lot of different stuff that can happen and most of it would happen with little to no warning. Unless I see something suspicious, there's little I can do.