Muggings and street assaults are regrettably not isolated incidents in the UK, particularly in larger towns and cities. In a recent incident, a nanny who was with a young child was threatened with violence and robbed.
Such an incident raises the issue of an employer’s duty of care towards an employee and prompts some thought about tasking an employee with duties that, for example, require them to be out at night on the employer’s behalf.
One cannot wrap an employee in cotton wool, but if what you, as an employer, ask them to do places them potentially at risk, then you have a duty of care towards your employee to think twice, re-schedule a task, or ensure they are accompanied.
For further reading, you’ll find more information on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/workers/employers.htm.