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Bosses 'must protect staff from robberies'

Published On 11 April 2007 at 15:02:17

The owners of small and medium-sized enterprises need to make sure they protect their staff from robbery, according to an industry expert.

Law firm Mace & Jones has warned the UK's SMEs that they face long and expensive negligence claims unless they offer staff the appropriate protection in the event of a robbery.

The firm issued the warning amid fears that criminal gangs may soon have to target SMEs after chip and pin security reduced the appeal of credit card fraud.

In light of the potentially increased threat, bosses need to make sure their staff are trained in how to correctly deal with robberies and also implement 'common sense security measures'.

"Employers need to assess the risk their business may be under from a robbery," explained Mace & Jones' head of employment law, Martin Edwards.

"Ultimately employers have a duty of care to staff. If the business is under increased risk of attack and the employer fails to properly train and protect staff they risk being accused of negligence if a robbery happens."

Mr Edwards added that bosses need to be particularly careful if their SME handles large sums of cash.

Recently, the Federation of Small Businesses estimated that UK companies - including SMEs - lose £19 billion through crime every year.

 

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