Tesco is giving its UK staff free access to a personal safety app that can track their journeys and helps them raise the alarm if they feel unsafe.
The grocer has invested in the Peoplesafe app, following feedback from staff who said they sometimes felt unsafe travelling to and from work.
The app helps address situations such as walking in an unfamiliar area late at night, facing aggression on the night bus or train after a night out, or using a private taxi alone.
Workers who choose to download the app can get 24/7 protection whether commuting for work or going about their personal lives.
By setting their destination and mode of transport before travelling, the app can automate welfare checks on workers’ mobiles to ensure they feel safe and allow them to raise an SOS alert if needed.
If staff don’t arrive at their destination on time or fail to respond to messages asking if they feel safe, professionals at the Peoplesafe control room will call to check they are ok and can raise an alarm directly with local police if necessary.
Once workers arrive at their destination, the app automatically closes the tracing process.
Tesco does not receive any personal information about any workers’ use of the app or any alarms raised. It remains up to workers whether they want to sign up for the app or not.
Staff members will have the option to allow their location to be tracked using GPS during journeys. This enables help to be sent to their exact location quickly in an emergency, and would only be visible to the Peoplesafe control room.
The rollout follows research from Peoplesafe that found 60% of people felt unsafe travelling on public transport during unsociable hours, while 50% of people worried about travelling to and from work alone.
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Tesco shrink and security director Rachel Bennett said: “At Tesco, the safety of our colleagues and their wellbeing is our top priority. Whether they are working in the office, stores or distribution centres, we know colleagues can feel vulnerable in situations where they are travelling alone or during unsociable hours.
“And in their social lives, we know colleagues sometimes worry if they are witnessing aggression on public transport, walking on their own or find themselves taking a taxi home as the only passenger.
“We believe colleagues will really value the peace of mind offered by knowing that their journey is being monitored and help is quickly available if they encounter any issues. They deserve to always feel and be safe, at work or in their personal lives.”
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