Business licensing for companies that operate in the security industry will bring huge benefits to employers, employees and customers. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) and The Government plan to introduce a business license for companies that operate in the security industry. This is long overdue and something that I have championed for a number of years.
As a company, we have always remained committed to major employee concerns such as holiday pay and pensions. The benefit of this has been that we can offer service of excellence for our customers and clients safe in the knowledge that our workforce are happy in their job.
By understanding business licensing and putting it into action we will be able to get rid of rogue operators who are paying staff on a self employed basis. Paying staff £5 an hour breaks minimum wage laws and business licensing will only help to stop this practice. It will also raise standards within this industry and improve customer service. Customer will often ask whether officers have a license but they do not ask about quality standards or certification. That highlights just how important these changes could be to how the industry works for employees in future.
For years now we have tried to educate our customers and clients about the importance of using companies such as ourselves rather than rogue operators. The quality of service will only improve with these new measures.
In summary, this industry needs tougher regulation that strong accreditation can provide. Without this the industry will suffer at the hands of these rogue operators who can of course undercut competitors with lower prices – at the expense of those who they employ. I have frequently provided a manual I wrote encouraging users of the security industry to ask the right questions and detailing requirements. I firmly believe these new measures will finally address some of the issues we face.
Stay safe,
Abbey Petkar
