In the summer of 2024, a Wells Fargo employee passed away at her desk not to be discovered until four days later. The reason for the delayed discovery was put down to suspected bad plumbing and a remote desk location. This tragedy raises important questions about workplace policies and procedures. How is it possible to ensure health, safety and well-being in the modern workplace?
This isn’t about blame or pointing fingers. It’s about learning lessons to prevent such incidents in the future, so let’s explore how businesses can build policies that prioritise people and reflect the values they stand for.
How to Prioritise Workplace Health and Safety
The clocking-in machines and signing-in books have all but been replaced by swipe cards, biometric entry and access codes. These technological advancements are used to monitor and verify that individuals are doing as contracted (or not). In a time when hybrid working is now a thing, practices can be utilised more effectively to ensure the safety and well-being of all.
It’s pointless collecting the data if it’s not being used appropriately. Generating reports and ensuring that individuals are swiping in and out properly is essential. Developing routine habits can flag repeat offenders as well as any anomalies. Regular reviews of health and safety policies, including emergency procedures, are necessary to prevent tragedies and assure accountability.
Using Technology Effectively
There appears to be a missed opportunity to use the entry logs for monitoring prolonged building stays. Having a process where on-site security goes through the logs to flag exceptionally long periods within the building could have assisted in finding this worker sooner. We’ve all heard the stories of someone rumoured to be living out of the office, which in most circumstances now would go against the health and well-being of the individuals within the company.
At the very least, having a procedure in place would speak to the health and safety of the general building. In case of an evacuation for a fire or security threat, vital information should be readily available to assist the emergency services. Such a practice could be introduced as part of a shift handover, similar to a nurse’s handover; the security team could get access to the report to see who’s still on site, using it to verify the numbers in the office, ensuring no one is overlooked.
Don't Interrupt the Humming of Productivity
CAS Ltd is committed to guiding smaller businesses to practice and build an interdependent internal community through a structure that prioritises fairness and justice.
Ethical Insights ensures you stay informed about the latest strategies and best practices.
Signing up is simple, and there are no strings attached. Simply valuable insights delivered directly to your inbox to assist you in keeping your business humming.
Promoting Collaboration in Hybrid Teams
While technology is crucial for safety and monitoring, it can’t replace the human connection essential to a thriving workplace. In hybrid teams, engagement doesn’t happen by chance, it requires a proactive approach. Team members with busy schedules or active family lives can sometimes forget to check in on colleagues, especially those who may live alone or are new to the organisation. Simple practices, like a team chat group where everyone says hello or goodbye, can prompt someone to be curious when someone unexpectedly goes quiet.
Generally, laws are in place for individuals to have a right to a period of rest (that’s how we’ve ended up with annual leave). Removing the sentiment of compassion and care extended to another human, keeping an eye on this information can be very revealing:
- giving an early indication of potential absences,
- issues arising in an employee’s work workload being too much
- budgetary issue, falsely inflated hours or extra activities
Sharing holidays and absence schedules doesn’t require excessive detail but provides enough transparency for team members to ask questions if needed. Collaboration isn’t just about being in the same space. It’s about creating a culture of care where everyone feels seen (very different to being spied on).
Improving Security for 24hr Offices
It was reported that the building (like many modern offices) is accessible 24hrs. That doesn’t prevent the company from putting in additional measures for out-of-hours/unsocialable hours attendance. At a time when there was a significant drop in attendance, heightened security measures would have several benefits.
In a world where workers are increasingly stressed and suffering from work-related illnesses, company leaders have to play their part in encouraging well-being and good work practices (dare I say, work/life balance). When a person is going to be working late, arriving at the office early or going in on the weekend, this should be noted and monitored.
Getting clearance from the manager or having to submit notice to the security team so they are aware of who is to be expected checks the health and safety aspect of people in a building but also the security aspect of a financial institution.
As a building is open 24/7, it would only seem plausible that they would have a procedure in place. Is it that they fell into the trap of cutting corners, no one mapped out a plan or could it be the same recurring issue of insufficient manpower? From the pictures of the building, there were several floors, given that most of the teams worked remotely, did all workers need access to all areas?
Does your business regularly review its security practices to align with new ways of working?
Periodic Policy Reviews: A Necessity, Not a Luxury
What seems obvious is the lack of a remote work policy and how it interacted with the new ways of working in the office. Knowing and implementing the rules is only part of the process. Then they need to be monitored, corrected when something is not going according to the plan or updated when it’s no longer serving. However, the success of unbroken rules has as much to do with others understanding why they are in place as much as it is about following through with the consequences and enforcement if they are not being complied with.
Policies in any business are not to be deemed as silos and where possible, departments can work together for the good of the company as a whole. IT policies on being logged in for an extended period could be a cause for concern or a potential security breach. Businesses are comfortable with tracking the mouse movement and keyboard activity to ensure they are not being denied productivity. The information can be shared with HR, who can liaise with management about the potential cause for concern.
Incorporating several levels of shared accountability means nothing is likely to fall through the cracks (for too long). Better synergy across the board will not only minimise the potential of this happening again. It should also improve the workplace environment. This incident is a sobering reminder of why policies must be more than captivating copy on paper or well-designed web pages. They must be actionable, enforced and understood by everyone.
This incident reminds us that policies aren’t just about compliance, they’re about building environments where people feel valued and supported without feeling caged by restrictive rules. Policies must serve both individuals and the business, whether it’s health and safety, team collaboration or security measures.
Through Humming sessions, CAS Ltd guides business owners in refining their HouseRules to create fair and just workplaces. Let’s make sure your policies are working for your people, not against them.
