Cab Safety for Female Employees: Is a Security Guard Needed if a Male Employee is Present?

If the cab also has one male employee, does the company still need to provide a security guard? Do all companies follow different norms?

Yes, corporate responsible security guards are allocated so that any thefts or damages can be thwarted by the perpetrators. Remember, the security guard also has a unique nameplate and identity provided by the company. They also have to record the pick-up and drop times along with the employee's signature to ensure safety.

They always have access to a radio or phone to actively report any instincts. Inspection of any suspicious activity should be alarmed immediately by the guard.

You should also ensure that you have the proper contact numbers for the transport team in case of any hardship. Please check on the above points before boarding a corporate cab.

Regards.

Hi Sharmila, thanks for your response, but my question was more in terms of relevant rules and mandates to provide a security guard in a cab where the female employee is accompanied by a male employee. I wanted to check if it is mandatory to provide a security guard when a male employee is also boarding the cab, and the female employee is going to be dropped off first. I could not find any clear rule on this.

Appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Kavita

Given the current situation and communal intimidations, I would strongly suggest not taking any chances even if a male employee is present in the cab. As for the rules, they are established based on norms concerning women's safety. It is at the discretion of the management to decide whether to implement anything they deem appropriate.

Regards,
Kavita

Safety does not ask for any rule. Especially in these days, we must ensure the safety of female employees with more of our own concern than of the establishment. Trust is something abstract; find ways to authenticate people through documentation and verifications. Have strong control and monitoring through swift communications and automated devices. You can have security guards along with employees, but ensure all security is intact and in good hands.

Thanks,
Bijay

I second Sharmila. If there is a last drop rostered for a lady, you need to ensure that there is a security guard in the cab. Rostering a gentleman with other ladies in the cab would require the gentleman to take the last drop. This would be quite inhumane, given the fact that the gentleman would have to travel to drop all the other ladies before reaching his home.

I would like to thank you for first raising this concern. Please note that it is not mandatory for the company to provide a security guard in the cab. Currently, my company doesn't have any such facility for the female employees. However, we have ensured that we don't have the first or last drop for the female employee under any circumstances.

We have already escalated the issue to the upper management and are hoping for a positive result.

The security guard is paid to perform and is therefore duty-bound. Not so the male employee, who is simply on his way home. He may not even be trained to protect!

Take the example of a child being given tuition for free by a neighbor: The child's parents would not mind if he misses a session or two. They are not paying for the service! The neighbor may take a day or two off. He's not being paid for it! The parents of the child cannot complain as the service is free! The child also realizes that the service is free and may not take full advantage of it. Reliance on this kind of arrangement where there are no guarantees could result in poor performance by the child - FAILURE!

So it is a very 'IFFY' kind of situation. Can you take a chance? Would you like to take a chance??? Plan for the best but always be prepared for the worst. Good luck.

Regards, Colonel Gahlot 'TRURECRUIT'

In some locations, we use the "FOR SHE" service of radio taxis, which are driven by ladies. Where this is not possible, we have a security guard accompanying the ladies—no male is allowed in the ladies' car drop. Both the guard and the driver need to undergo police verification.

We also do the same in some cities where we use Meru taxis. Fixed taxis with drivers are available for us—here too, a guard accompanies the drop, and both the guard and driver have to produce a police clearance.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Brinda

It is advisable to hire one 'security guard cum driver' for the cab so that he can act as a driver and also provide security to female employees. As far as labor or industrial laws are concerned, there is no specific reference. However, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the safety of all employees from the point of their residence to the place of work and back.

Regards,
P.N. Pathak
Sr. HR Manager
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]