As the summer season rapidly approaches, businesses across the U.S. are prepping for the annual rush. On average, 95% of employers are adding extra shifts this summer—which means hiring more employees for the season. Added staff is necessary for keeping up with demand, but seasonal employees can pose a security risk to a company.
Hiring a seasonal employee or even an intern presents a significant challenge for human resources and security because it gives long term access to a short term keyholder. After a summer employee departs, they may still possess valid login information, badges, keys, or other sensitive material.
Not to worry! Combating this issue can be quite simple with the right knowledge and tools to keep your business safe.
Access control is key
An access control system provides a safer work environment, reduces theft, eliminates key challenges and changing locks, and provides remote access to specific locations. Access control is critical for keeping your business safe when the problem of quick employee turnover arises.
1. Limit access
Temporary employees should only have access to the areas that are required to perform their job function. Providing blanket access creates unnecessary safety risks. If an employee doesn’t need 24-hour access, don’t give it to them. Do you have a storage room with expensive inventory? Program keys for only the individuals who need it. Key card systems allow you to customize employee badges to make sure they only have access to what they need.
2. Eliminate keys and changing the locks
Traditional hard keys should be provided exclusively to official personnel. When an employee leaves, eliminate their access. No more lost keys or changing the locks! This process is instantaneous and virtually labor free.
3. Provide security education for all employees
It’s essential to educate outside help including temps and seasonal employees of the expectations regarding safety and security. All employees should be required to participate in a security training program which defines safety guidelines as well as clearly define access points. Employees with limited access should be aware of what access points are available to them and how much access is required for them to perform their job function.
4. Types of badges
For seasonal employees, temps, or contractors, there are different levels of security that you should consider. There are a variety of badges you can choose from to meet your desired level of security.
- Paper badges: a nametag allows the minimum level of access and is used to identify visitors who aren’t allowed access without supervision. However, these badges are not integrated with an access control system.
- Laminated paper badges: Used for frequent visitors or temporary employees who require limited access, but still need to be easily identified. Typically, paper label badges are laminated for multiple time use but do not include electronic access to secure parts of the building.
- Electronic badges: For temporary employees who need access to secure parts of the building for a limited amount of time. This system uses an electronic badge such as a proximity card that can be programmed for pre-determined levels of access and is integrated with the access control system to monitor activity. They offer a high level of security for seasonal employees who need limited access for a fixed amount of time.
- Electronic ID cards: For permanent or long-term employees, electronic ID cards are perfect for instant visual verification as well as customizable access for a high level of security. They offer the same benefits of electronic badges with the permanence of an employee ID card.
5. Administration
Fully functional access control systems can be administered internally or, in the case of EPS, by your security provider. Our Managed Access Control team specializes in taking care of our access control customers by helping administrate the system to the individual needs of each customer. EPS protects and manages over 1000 facilities across the state by:
- Adding and removing access cards on the fly
- Programming individual access levels
- Granting unique access privileges
- Setting open/close schedules
- Track employee entry times, provide scheduled activity reports and audit trails
Addressing the impact of seasonal employees is a great start to realizing the value of access control for your facilities. Re-keying locks and worrying about access with antiquated metal keys can add unnecessary risk to an organization. Consider looking into an access control/key card system to protect your business today!