Enforcing Mask Policies for Private Businesses

July 24, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed businesses and individuals in ways that might have previously seemed unimaginable. Among those changes are new company rules and regulations, such as requiring people to wear masks. Although initially discouraged, mask-wearing has become the norm, as it’s been shown to help reduce the spread of the virus. As a result, many states, including Colorado, issued mandates that require people to wear masks in public places.

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Mask mandates and other COVID-19 related regulations have affected the way companies protect themselves. In addition to using security guards to protect against theft and loss and de-escalate complicated situations, many companies are finding that their security teams are also useful for enforcing mask requirements in Colorado and elsewhere. Security guards can also encourage compliance with employee temperature checks and screenings.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting Business Security

Before COVID-19, many customers visiting a business might not have paid much attention to the security guards stationed at the entrance. Customers might have nodded or smiled as they passed a guard on their way into an establishment, but unless there was a significant problem, such as a person shoplifting or harassing another customer or staff member, the security guard was often a background figure. They were there to keep people and companies safe, but usually had little direct interaction with customers.

During the pandemic, many security guards have found that their roles have changed. They are now front and center and often have to interact directly with visitors. They might screen employees’ and customers’ temperatures at the door, refuse entry to people who aren’t masked or enforce occupancy limits.

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In some cases, the requirements have been a challenge. Some customers have behaved in ways they usually wouldn’t, in part due to pandemic-induced stress and confusion or fear of the new policies. There have been reports of customers physically harming security guards at stores for seemingly small issues, such as being asked to wait outside the store until a certain number of shoppers leave or being asked to wear a mask.

One positive change within the security sector as a result of the pandemic is that the need for guards has increased. As 40 million people have lost their jobs and many industries are struggling to stay afloat, the security sector has seen an uptick in openings and opportunities. Stores large and small have hired more guards or employed guards for the first time because of mandates and new policies.

Enforcing Mask Policies

The state of Colorado is one of several to enact a mask-wearing mandate. As of July 16, 2020, people aged 11 and older need to wear a covering over their mouths and noses when they are going into or moving about an indoor public space. A face covering is also required when they are waiting to use or are using public or shared transportation. So far, many people have complied with the new mandate, although some have not.

Business owners in Colorado have wondered what they can do to protect their staff and effectively de-escalate a situation where a customer refuses to put on a mask or leave the premises. There is also the question of what to do when a shopper tries to enter the store without a mask simply because they do not have one.

Some retailers, particularly big-box stores such as Target and Home Depot, have said that they will give free masks to customers if necessary. Another tactic retailers and businesses are using is to hang up signs and notifications to remind people to wear a mask and stress the importance of doing so. In some cases, the signs suggest other options such as online ordering or curbside pickup if customers do not want to wear a mask.

As far as enforcing mask-wearing goes, the approaches taken by retailers have varied. Some have decided on a hands-off approach, trusting that customers will police themselves and wear the masks because it is the right thing to do under the circumstances. Others have enlisted current employees to act as “mask ambassadors” to enforce the policies. A third option is for companies to hire trained security guards to ensure people are abiding by the mask mandate, taking the pressure off of existing employees.

Employee Temperature Screening

Another practice many companies have adopted is taking employees’ — and in some cases, clients’ and customers’ — temperatures before they can enter a building. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows employers to take their employees’ temperatures during a pandemic. Any health information collected, including the thermometer reading, is kept confidential.

Staff temperature checks are allowed by the ADA during a pandemic and are also encouraged or required in some states. Colorado encourages workplaces to implement coronavirus temperature screenings and symptom monitoring protocols, for example.

There are a few ways to handle the process of checking people’s temperatures or monitoring systems. Employee temperature checks are another task that security guards can perform at your business. Guards can use no-contact digital thermometers to take people’s temperatures. If an employee or customer does have a fever — a temperature over 100.4 degrees — the guard can ask them to return home. Guards can inform supervisors about any employees who are turned away because their temperature is too high.

Since the people responsible for manning temperature check stations have an above-average risk for virus exposure, they must be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings, gloves and goggles. Guards should also remove and replace PPE frequently throughout the day and sanitize their hands often.

How Vigilant Tiger Can Help

In the middle of the pandemic, your employees already have a lot on their plate, whether they are essential workers or people just beginning to return to the office after working from home for months. Vigilant Tiger, a security company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, can relieve some of the burdens and pressures on your team.

Our trained guards can ensure that visitors to your company comply with local mask mandates, and they can also defuse any tense situations that may arise. Your staff will be better able to focus on their most pressing responsibilities and tasks rather than debating with customers.

We’ve been taking the pandemic seriously and recognize that it creates new challenges for businesses of all kinds. When you work with us, we offer employee screening and mask-wearing enforcement at no extra cost. We’ll even provide a no-contact thermometer for our guards to use during temperature checks.

We also take the health and safety of our team members and your employees and customers seriously. Our guards receive PPE such as masks and gloves. We also offer COVID tests to each member of our team monthly and require any guards who show symptoms to quarantine for 14 days. If you’re interested in employing our services for your business, contact us today to learn more.

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