Employees are a key part of any business, as they are the ones who perform services, manufacture or sell products, or promote the company. However, the same employees tasked with growing and improving a company are the ones who could potentially hurt it the most through careless or irresponsible actions. In today's Aegis blog post, we look at a few ways employees could make a business vulnerable by increasing liability risks or damaging company property.

Not Adhering To Safety Guidelines

Most companies have a baseline set of guidelines or safety regulations to adhere to, so when an employee disregards these rules, problems can arise. For example, a restaurant employee that fails to handle food properly could inadvertently cause customer illnesses or allergic reactions, leading to lawsuits and liability claims. Likewise, an electrical or HVAC contractor might ignore safety guidelines for working with high voltage equipment and cause a power outages or physical injuries.

Careless With Company Property

Another way employees make businesses more vulnerable to liability issues or damages is when they don't handle company property in a responsible way. For example, when business equipment is used in an unsafe or incorrect way, it can lead to damages, personal injuries, or both. Commercial drivers that disobey traffic laws or operate service vehicles in an aggressive way could cause an accident and injure themselves and others, leading to Workers Compensation claims and other liability claims.  Hundreds of viral videos show how easily forklift operators can cause thousands of dollars in damages to merchandise if they are careless in a warehouse or retail store.

Inappropriate Social Media Activity

Finally, one of the newer ways employees could negatively impact their own company is through irresponsible or inappropriate social media activity. Over the last decade, companies have become increasingly vulnerable to social media criticism and scrutiny because of something an employee posted, whether on behalf of the company or on a personal page. An employee making inflammatory or inaccurate comments online could make their company liable for defamation or libel, or could attract very negative publicity.

In order to help minimize business liability exposure caused by employee actions, it's essential to thoroughly train employees on adherence to safety guidelines, proper handling of company property, and how to use social media in a responsible way. In addition, companies can help get extra protection through Commercial Insurance solutions from Aegis Insurance & Financial Services. Our team of insurance experts specializes in creating custom insurance packages tailored to your unique business and industry needs. Contact Aegis today at 713-850-7622 for more information, or fill out our online form to request a free quote!