How do you as a company owner or manager address the important issue of your security personnel sleeping while on duty? Your first reaction to a sleeping security guard or sleeping security officer might be for their immediate dismissal. Your company is being paid for attentive and continuous security services to protect persons, places and property. A security guard sleeping on duty is a bad dereliction of the security duty for which you have been contracted.
However there are some PROACTIVE STEPS that will help you avoid such dilemmas in the first place:
First you should establish clear expectations of your company protocols for your employees. What happens when security forces get caught sleeping on the job? What is the policy on sleeping at work? Is sleeping on the job misconduct? Or cause for immediate firing? If, or how do you write a warning for sleeping on duty? Any company expectations must be clarified and understood by all. Employees need to understand what expectations they agree to fulfill, and the consequences if they do not comply. You do this with:
- A written or online company manual with clear policies (of course posted along with all the required legal notifications of workplace rights). Have a manager or supervisor review policies with your employees and answer questions in person. For instance reviewing your policies on a security officer sleeping on duty, or your security guard dress code could be key in defining the professionalism of your company brand.
- Obtaining written signatures from employees that they have received/read your key policies. (While you are not legally obligated to do this, it shows that you’ve informed your employees). Employees can refuse to sign an acknowledgement (e.g. if they do not agree with something), but make it clear that the policies will still apply.
Secondly, you must provide proper training for your employees. Your staff needs to know how important it is to remain vigilant, alert and focused on their duties.You should conduct on-going training classes, to keep guards up-to-date on best practices and industry standards- and ultimately prevent any sleeping on the job.
You must regularly conduct performance evaluations. Security companies should regularly review each employee’s performance, giving both management and employee opportunity to address any concerns. A good employee can be having something going on at home, or may be barely getting enough sleep. With good communication, you can come up with a game plan to help you both. In addition, employee recognition, reward systems or bonuses for good work performances are always classic ways to reward good employees.
You must clearly recognize the specific conditions of some guard jobs. There are conditions that can lead to a security guard sleeping on duty. Shifts for your security guards can be for extended hours, with an overnight or night shift. Some guard posts are remote, are out of public view and less supervised. Your personnel might have to face long hours of inactivity and solitude which could result in a security guard asleep.
To succeed as the company owner or manager in charge, you must provide the best tools for your personnel to excel at their job on behalf of your company. How do you keep your guards awake on their shifts? It is key that your security staff has clearcut tasks and enough work to do on their shifts. This means you should clearly spell out a guard’s specific responsibilities during their shift to-
- Provide customer service (for employees, visitors, or clients).
- Patrol premises (foot or vehicle patrols to deter access, vandalism, theft).
- Monitor surveillance (watch cameras, alarm systems).
- Maintain access control (authorized personnel only).
- Respond to alarms or incidents (familiar with emergency contact procedures).
- Write detailed reports (especially incident reports).
- Enforce safety protocols (evacuations, first aid, fire prevention).
Ensure that your guards have adequate rest periods and scheduled breaks.
You can adjust shift schedules, and make sure to hire enough staff to cover shifts and prevent fatigue.
You need to update inadequate or outdated equipment so guards can effectively perform their assignments.
Fortunately For You There’s Helpful Technology Too
There are security guard management software systems that allow security companies to effectively manage their operations and guards well. These systems can be utilized specifically to prevent security guard sleeping while on duty. Management systems such as Connecteam, TrackTik, Timeero or OfficerReports are ideal to hold security people accountable and improve their performance.
These various systems have features such as timed check-ins for guards. These can be set as frequently as every 30 minutes of a shift. This gives monitors electronic Proof of Presence for all made checks to know when your staff checks in initially, and then where they are throughout their shift. Real-time reporting like this in TrackTik or others allow you to know that your guard is making the tours that you expect, and NOT falling asleep on duty. You can use such software systems with GPS monitoring systems for your workers- especially useful to track security vehicles or foot patrols on larger properties. Geofencing is a location-based virtual border system (that Timeero uses for instance) that enables monitors to check if guards venture beyond specific boundaries.
In summary, clear company protocols, well-defined guard tasks, managerial support, on-going employee training, and updated equipment and technology will all work to prevent any security risk. Together these strategies will successfully address the particular issue of security guards and officers sleeping while on duty.
