Employees Prioritize Safety Over Privacy as Number of Remote Workers Surges

According to a new report, “Protecting the Modern Mobile Workforce” from critical event management leader Everbridge, 77 percent of employers said their employees would prioritize safety over privacy concerns when it comes to identifying their location during a critical event. And while more than 80 percent of employers regard it as their responsibility to locate, share information and confirm safety of mobile employees during critical events – it remains a challenge for them.

The report includes findings from a May 2017 survey which polled security, risk management, business continuity and emergency management leaders at 412 organizations across a broad range of industries, about how they inform and protect employees when threats such as an active shooter, terrorist attack, workplace violence, or severe weather put the personal security of mobile employees at risk.

With 72 percent of the U.S. workforce expected to be made up of mobile workers by 2020, companies will face new challenges as traditional physical security approaches aimed at protecting employees within company facilities will no longer apply to a majority of the workforce.

“The 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce Report,” recently announced by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, reports that the number of telecommuting workers has increased 115 percent in a decade, totaling 3.9 million workers. In fact, telecommuting exceeded public transportation as the commute option of choice in more than half of the top U.S. metro areas, and 40 percent more U.S. employers offered flexible workplace options than they did in 2010.

As the number of remote worked continues to climb, more pressure is being placed on companies’ to keep employees safe – regardless of whether they’re in the office or working remotely. Unfortunately, only 37 percent of employers confirm maintaining an accurate record of where employees are expected to be during working hours.

The good news, is with 83 percent of employers confirming that it’s their responsibility to do more to locate mobile workers who are potentially at risk – including alerting them to local threats and confirming their safety – you can bet discussions in board rooms worldwide will increasingly focus on how to effectively locate and confirm mobile employee safety.