Safety has been preached to me as long as I can remember. They always say the same things: avoid walking by yourself in the dark, stairwells rarely have cameras, never leave your stuff unattended, lock your doors, be aware of your surroundings – it's all been engrained into my system. You can have the safety basics down, but something may still happen.
I had just gotten into my hotel room and started to change out of my travel clothes when a man walked into my room. He didn’t break down the door or follow me in – a clerical error was made, and we both were assigned to the same room. Sure, it must’ve been embarrassing for him to walk in on someone taking their shirt off, but it was a scary moment for me. I couldn’t help but feel angry with myself for not pulling the deadbolt as soon as I entered the room.
When traveling for work, there is an increased emphasis on safety especially if you’re a woman. According to a report, 38 percent of women said that they had been sexually harassed at work, with 13 percent of respondents saying that it was the place they were harassed the most. For many women employees, feeling safe in both a physical and psychological stance is a major concern. Injury Facts reports that in 2020 a woman was the target in 73.3 percent of all assaults reported on the job.
Fortunately, nothing happened to me when the man came into my hotel room. He left right away, and we were able to get the situation sorted with the hotel quickly. But safety needs to be at the forefront of every business. The smallest details can make a difference to someone. It is essential that managers make safety and security a priority to each employee and receive input on what is needed within their operations, whether it be security cameras, additional training, more equipment – or in my case - have someone double check their work.
More people are traveling for work again as companies have rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Smart Meetings, 50 percent of business travels are women and 80 percent have reported having some security issue while traveling. Of those who experienced a safety incident, 80 percent said that it impacted their work productivity while traveling.
Still, less than 50 percent of women report personal safety incidents to their companies after traveling out of fear of being perceived as weak or vulnerable. Women may also feel discouraged to report an incident if they feel as though it would limit their opportunities for more business travel or stunt their growth in their careers, SAP Concur reports.
Keri Steers, regional facility manager for Dutch Bros recommends having at least one person looped in your plans in the event something goes wrong. When traveling to different store locations, she would call ahead to let employees know the approximate date/time she would be there.
“I’m very cautious when I go out and travel, and I just make sure there’s never a need to have a safety concern,” Steers says. “It’s good to be aware of your surroundings, but it can over stress you out. The odds of someone following you are low.”
Other safety tips include:
It is required by law that employers provide workers with working conditions that are free of known dangers. Information, training and assistance to workers and employers are necessary in ensuring the safety of everyone on the job. Steers recommends that all employees openly communicate their safety needs to their managers.
“When you have a female out there [traveling], she’s doing the damn thing,” Steers says. “She’s doing the plumbing, she’s flying by herself, staying in hotel rooms by herself, and there is that fear and isolation to it and all the other unknown things people are nervous about. Having leadership that cares about you and your wellbeing makes a difference while on the job.”
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.
