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A Wake-up Call on Workforce Safety

Christopher Geier

Jan 7 2020

2 min read

View the Related Workplace Safety Infographic Below

As a former law enforcement officer, I’m deeply passionate about workforce safety. I believe strongly that the CEO sets the organization-wide tone on this vitally important issue. It’s not an HR issue. It’s not a facilities issue. It’s a CEO issue.

At Sikich, we’ve made great strides on this front. The effort to keep our employees safe — both in our offices and at client sites — includes physical security measures, an anonymous reporting platform, in-person training sessions and more. To see what steps other companies across industries are taking to keep their employees safe, we recently conducted a survey of 159 business leaders (director-level and above) at companies with between 100 and 10,000 employees nationwide. Sadly, the results were disheartening.

Many companies neglect key workforce safety measures
- More than 65% of respondents said their companies don’t have an incident response plan.
- Nearly 70% have not conducted in-person employee training in the past 12 months.
- More than 75% don’t have an anonymous reporting platform or policies governing the handling of employees’ orders of protection.
- More than 80% don’t have technology-enabled notification systems.

Many companies have experienced threats and acts of violence in the past 12 months.
- 35% have experienced a threat of violence made against an employee by a customer/client; 34% cited a threat of violence made against an employee by a colleague.
- 29% have experienced an instance of physical violence in the workplace.
- 26% have had an arrest on company property.
- 26% have experienced a violation of an employee’s protection order on company property.

These findings paint a sobering picture of the state of workforce security efforts across the country at a time when companies should be doubling down on these efforts. Clearly, while most company leaders likely say employee safety is important, far too few have implemented concrete measures that help them deliver on this front.

We’re proud of the efforts we’ve made so far, and we’re constantly updating our programs to keep up with the evolving threat landscape. By bringing these deficiencies to light, we hope to spur discussions among executives around this topic that drive improvement in companies’ practices. In the end, I want to prompt real change that leads to safer workplaces across the country.

This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.

About the Author

Christopher Geier

Christopher Geier is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sikich, a leading global technology-enabled professional services company. Under his visionary leadership, Sikich has achieved significant growth, expanded into new markets and diversified its service offerings. Christopher is known for his innovative approach to building high-performing teams and a commitment to exceptional client service. He has been recognized for successfully navigating rapidly evolving business environments and was named Managing Partner Elite by Accounting Today for his transformative leadership, despite not holding a CPA designation. For more than 30 years, Christopher has held leadership roles in domestic and international private and public companies and founded two businesses focused on distressed companies, M&A and capital markets advisory. His diverse background also includes time in law enforcement, private equity, business turnarounds and management consulting. In addition to leading Sikich’s strategic and financial direction, Christopher is responsible for large mergers and acquisitions and serves as Chairman of the Board of Managers. He frequently shares his insights and experiences on leadership and the future of professional services through various platforms, including his blog "Lessons from Leadership.” He holds a degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.