Girls arriving and leaving work early morning late evening

[OneCheeryGoldMoose]

I know I'll probably be told off but just for traffic posting on here.

My husband and I run a company and we have two younger girls who run the office with us.

Husband and I are going away for three weeks for a wedding and making a family holiday of it as it's over the other side of the world.

We have an office that's on an industrial estate and is very dark and not well lit in the mornings and evenings- and we start early due to the nature of the business 5.30/6am to get all the boys in and out with job pack if they are required on the day.

Normally we pick the girls up on the way in and drop them home during the winter for safety as they are local.

I know it's probably over the top of me but we are worried about them feeling safe getting in and out on their own in the mornings and evenings (it is a sketchy South London Industrial estate)- does anyone have any suggestions to make them feel a bit safer. We have a ring camera set up on the door of the office.

None of the boys can bring them in as they have material to pick up.

I am- they refer to me and my husband as their work mum and dad. I'm sorry we work in a fun environment, I was looking for advice on safety not how to control my very happy employees.

Common in many trade environments to refer to the work team as ‘boys’

Why don't you make sure there is decent lighting, given them access to an uber account with your card on, tell them to stick together...

Ignore them OP - this is MN, people love being waspish and finding fault. Especially with nice people.
You sound like a great and thoughtful employer. You can't insist on the Uber, but it's kind of you to offer. Have a great holiday and enjoy your happy workforce.

Thank you. I will do this. I'll just add the card to their accounts and it's there if they wish to use it.

It makes a difference in this case though. Regardless of whatever nice relationship you have with them you can't expect to get full and useful advice if you are ambiguous about their ages. And calling them girls is being ambiguous.

They are 20 and 22.

Only on MN would a kind thoughtful gesture like this be reframed as patronising and controlling ....

Well, tell them that if anything changes their minds, they should then arrange to taxi together, keep receipts and you’ll pay the fares on your return…

Literally, what the hell.

They should hear the banter these 'young women' have with the 'young, middle and older generation men' day to day.

I think we would all end up in court 😂

Years ago ( don’t know about now ) girls who worked behind the bar in pubs etc had reputable taxi companies paid for by their employers to get them home after hours. Decent ones did anyway.

You do seem very kind & do seem to care about your staff.
However as others have eluded to you do seem a little old-fashioned in your attitudes towards them. Would you feel the same if one of the 'boys' were attacked?
I would suggest you need to have a formal written risk assessment for all staff, equivalent of a 'lone worker policy'. If your staff are over 18, they are adult women & men not boys and girls. By differenting between them you are leaving yourself open to accusations of sex-based discrimination under the dreaded Equality Act 2000.

Are we talking about literal children here, or adults?
Adults - let them make their own decisions (also maybe stop referring to them as boy/girls, they are staff members)

I asked genuinely in case they were children doing paper rounds or something.

If they are adults, then using the correct nomenclature might help you reframe the fact you feel responsible for their welfare outside work, and be more ready to take their word that they have a safe way of commuting.

The gesture and the advice from you is fine and very nice. Not accepting their answer and therefore not treating them as the adults they are is the overstep.

Banter has nothing to do with it

I know you are concerned but they have considered their safety and are going to come to work together, you need to let it go maybe treat them like responsible adults who can get to work themselves.

Why would we not feel the same if one of the boys were attacked.

The 'boys' which every single company in the same trade call them, or 'the lads' travel in pairs to work in a work appointed vehicle which is on a tracker.

We don't do lone working in our trade ever.

Thanks for being a caring employee. If they don’t want help I suggest they use a buddy system between them about arriving at work and getting home safely

Its very kind of you to offer an Uber.

However, if they have refused then you will have to accept that.

It's over stepping your boundaries as an employer to try to force them to do things in a way that makes you feel more comfortable. They are grown adults who are perfectly capable to risk assess their own lives and getting to and from work.

You must let this go now. You have done all that is reasonably expected of an employer. If you keep on going at this you are going to come across as weird and controlling.

Not sure what the rules say about employing children-you need to check.

Op, stuff all of these responses. You sound like a dream boss! We refer to our selves as the girls and boys at work, all 40+. Those who want to be offended will always find something. Carry on being the thoughtful person you are 😊

If they've turned down the offer of a taxi/uber, that's their call but it's odd as I'd definitely have taken up the offer!

I understand where the OP is coming from. And taxi’s are the way to go. For guys and gals. If that description makes it easier.
If they are young and I assume none drive, travelling alone in a less than busy area where there is little or no public transport in the small hours it doesn’t hurt to provide transport. It is a nice thing to do to retain decent staff.

Literally. I'm getting told i'm overstepping and forcing them- I've literally said let me get you a taxi. That's the whole extent and they've said no, so I'm thinking of other ways to help.

They’re grown adults and they can either pay for a taxi, bus etc or walk. When you said young girls I thought you meant under 16!