Risks that threaten the workplace
Risk in the workplace can come from both internal and external sources. These risks can threaten all forms of assets and resources, including staff and clients, real property, intellectual and social capital, and the financial value of an organization.
The annual Pinkerton Organization survey of Fortune 1000 companies identified six out of the top ten security threats facing companies as coming from inside - from the firm's own staff. The threats identified were:
- workplace violence
- employee selection/screening
- fraud
- general employee theft
- unethical business conduct
- drugs/alcohol in the workplace
These, of course, aren't the only threats. There is the risk of injury, disaster, accident, victimization by some form of crime, and the impact of a global influenza pandemic on a company's capacity to meet its strategic objectives. In the event of a pandemic, what plan does an employer rely on when twenty percent of their staff are home ill, or home caring for their ill family members? How will the company's suppliers cope with similar staff shortages?
New and emerging threats of concern to many employers include:
- inappropriate use/misuse by staff of company resources, including computers and the Internet
- theft/misuse of proprietary information such as client lists and intellectual property
- mistakes in hiring that bring unstable, violent or criminal persons into the organization.
The key is in how we measure the likelihood, severity and impact of a particular risk and what we do to mitigate those risks.
Canpro Training Resources Inc. and our partner Canpro Pacific Resources Inc. will work with you to identify risks, and create proactive solutions that address these and other risks.
