Lone working is routine in hospitality: the opener receiving deliveries at dawn, the night porter in a hotel, the barista running a small cafe alone, or the last manager cashing up after midnight. Employers must assess the risks of lone working like any other hazard and put sensible controls in place. Those might include check-in calls or apps, panic alarms linked to a monitoring service, limits on how much cash is held on site, time-delay safes, good lighting at entrances and bins, and clear rules about not opening the door to strangers after close.
The journey home is part of the risk too: late finishes can leave staff waiting at quiet bus stops or walking alone, so some venues pay for taxis or arrange lifts after a certain hour. Two-person closes reduce the danger from robbery and also protect staff from suspicion if the till is short. Training people to recognise and walk away from risk matters more than any gadget.
What we ask on the show
- How does your venue look after people closing alone?
- Should employers pay for taxis home after late shifts?
- What's the scariest moment you've had working on your own?
- Are two-person closes worth the extra labour cost?