A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Keven Moore: At the office alone at night, women need to be alert for potential workplace violence


All of us are very aware of the risks that workplace violence plays in our society these days. Incidents of such crimes stream across our televisions and smart phones more frequently than ever before. And that trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

When people hear or speak of workplace violence, most of us visualize an active shooter scenario, but it can come in variety of forms, especially for women working alone.

Many of us become too complacent at work, feeling safe and impervious in our own professional surroundings, and as a woman you can lower your guard down in these environments. We can spend an entire lifetime in these settings without ever once feeling an ounce of danger.

The fact is that criminal activity often reaches inside to pay us a personal visit and in some cases can even result in a brutal or deadly crime.

Working late has become commonplace these days, as many workers actually find it to be a time where they can focus on their work, without the constant distraction of team members coming to them with various requests.

However, it’s important to know that evidence of stories of women being attacked, sexually assaulted and sometimes even killed at work can be found and often they don’t attract the headlines that an active shooter incident will receive.

As a woman working alone, the first thing you must understand is that criminals don’t just operate in the so-called “bad” areas of town, nor do they occur in the dead of night. Those who want to do you harm will search for areas where people have let their guard down.

Many office buildings are places of commerce in which strangers and potential criminals can wander about without feeling out of place as they search for opportunities.

As we enter elevators, walk through hallways and head out to the parking lot, criminals and drug addicts looking to support their habits realize that many of us are carrying laptops, cell phones, GPS devices, tablets, iPods, etc.

The most opportune times for these events to occur are early in the morning, lunchtime when an office is short staffed, and at closing time when only a handful of employees are left.

When I was employed as a part-time bank teller during my college days, we were all trained that pre-opening hours were the prime times for robberies. We always had signals for other employees, which indicated if it was safe to enter.

One of the most high-profile rape cases in New York City back in the mid-1980s involved the serial Midtown Rapist. He used the constant flow of anonymity in large crowds to blend in. His spree of rapes occurred in stairwells, elevators, and offices in some of Manhattan’s fanciest office towers. His victims included a lawyer in her Park Avenue office building, a bookkeeper running an errand in a low-trafficked stairwell and a secretary carrying documents to another floor several stories up.

Serial rapists look to commit their crimes in comfort zones that make them feel safe enough to carry out their attack without detection. Many will map out their attack well in advance, watching and assessing the patterns of potential victims and looking to see if doors are left unlocked and if keys are used. Office buildings offer up all of these comfort zones and these serial assailants search for that brief moment of vulnerability when you are alone, tired and distracted.

We should never ever let our guard down.

To avoid becoming a victim of crime in your office, follow these simple steps:

• Avoid working late by yourself, and if you do make sure that your office is safely secured if you are going to be working alone after hours or even early before the rest of the office arrives.

• Tell your boss that you’re working late. Notify internal security staff; in some cases this also includes building security. And don’t forget to tell your family so that they aren’t unduly alarmed when you don’t arrive in time for dinner.

• Re-notify. When you leave the building at night, notify security and call your family so that they know to expect you. Be aware of what the corporate policy is on working late and abide by that policy.

• Avoid unsecured areas, like common restrooms, fire staircases and back alleys. Use main transportation routes and those being monitored by CCTV security cameras. If there’s a main elevator, use that instead of the fire stairs.

• Always secure your front entrances and avoid working all alone early or after hours.

• Turn on as many lights as you can. Light increases situational awareness and can be a deterrent against crime.

• Maintain auditory alertness — keep those ear-buds out! If you absolutely must have music or news to listen to, keep it at a low volume on external speakers, so you can still hear sounds and ambient noise from your surroundings.

• Make sure your employer controls access of strangers, layering the physical security in the office settings. The more layers of security and detection devices you have, the less likely you will become a victim.

• Vet your vendors and repairmen and limit their access throughout the office.

• Ask a co-worker to escort you to your car after-hours; avoid leaving by yourself.

• Change your patterns of travel and times or arrival and departure as you come and go from your office.

• Maintain situational awareness and stay off your phone so that you can remain alert and undistracted as you are walking in and out of your office; make note of any person who doesn’t appear to belong or may be watching your patterns.

• Park smart. Before it gets too late, move your car in the parking lot to a well-lit area. If you are working in a metropolitan area, arrange for a car service or a cab/Uber to pick you up.

• Prior to entering a secluded area scan the area for potential attackers; and turn and head the other way if you are uncertain. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

• Keep your cell phone handy and be prepared to call 911.

• Consider carrying a defensive weapon, or even an improvised weapon, but make sure that you become familiar and properly trained with whatever weapon you choose.

Be Safe, My Friends

Keven Moore works in risk management services and is an expert witness. He has a bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky, a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University and 25-plus years of experience in the safety and insurance profession. He lives in Lexington with his family and works out of both the Lexington and Northern Kentucky offices. Keven can be reached at kmoore@roeding.com.


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