How bodycams improve working conditions
With global staff shortages companies are constantly looking for improvements to working conditions. Various industries, from retail to law enforcement have implemented bodycam solutions to answer growing problems of safety and satisfaction. But how exactly do bodycams improve working conditions?
Employees in many frontline industries are calling for further implementation of bodycam solutions. This arises from the great success of bodycam programs in law enforcement, retail, healthcare, emergency services and more. With benefits such as increased safety, security and support, many industries are interested in acquiring bodycams for their own employees. Not only to protect staff, but to address the growing numbers of sick leave and burnouts, and to retain them long-term as happy, satisfied employees.
Safer, better working conditions with bodycam solutions
“Cameras have a civilising effect with both citizens and employees behaving better when they recognise the chance of being recorded’ –Dr. Dombkowski | University of Cambridge
Employees and their managers in many industries have found bodycams to significantly improve safety, which resulted in increased job satisfaction. A few success stories:
- research on Belgian police bodycams showed great support due to a decreasing amount of incidents, as well as evidence of their actions, which supports their police duties
- research on Dutch police bodycams found that up to half of all incidents are avoided with bodycams, making police work easier and less time-consuming
- retailers such as Boots and Target found that bodycams drastically reduce the amount of verbal and physical aggression, and have permanently implemented them as of 2022
- research on the U.K.’s public transportation sector shows a near 50% reduction in verbal or physical abuse, and happier employees as a result
- emergency services set up a bodycam pilot: after only one month 96% percent of employees found they were needed and useful, with overall improvements to working conditions
Bodycams greatly reduce the amount of verbal and physical abuse faced by frontline professionals. This increases the overall safety of staff, as well as improving the day-to-day conditions and tasks for employees. As a result of less incidents there are less absentees or employees on sick-leave or burn-outs. Especially in countries where bodycams are prevalent, more and more frontline professionals see bodycams as a necessary employee benefit, and specifically check to see if an organisation already has a bodycam program set up. Simply put, bodycams benefit everyone: the professional, the public and the organisation they work for.
For the record: objective evidence through bodycams results in more confident employees
“The bodycam is my ideal companion on patrol. This is someone that can support my objective assessment of a situation. There are often no witnesses present and no one to confirm the facts so this is a very easy alternative.” Belgian Chief Inspector
Especially for public-facing frontline professionals, confidence is key. From police officers to train conductors, all need to be confident in their authority while communicating with the public, and in the knowledge that there will be consequences for those obstructing their work. With bodycam solutions, employees are more confident that if something goes wrong, they will have evidence of their correct handling, as well as legal consequences for any aggressor.
In France, fire departments have implemented bodycams for this very reason. Only a small percentage of crimes against firefighters made it to court. In 2021 they adopted a law that allows all fire departments to use bodycams, so that any crime against them could be punished to the full extent of the law. In Belgium, the situation has gotten so bad that 25% of all employees nationally are currently considering leaving the service. The reasons? Too many incidents and no justice for those attacked in the line of duty.
Bodycams offer a secure, GDPR compliant way to record evidence of wrongdoing, defend employee actions and support them in the case of an incident.
Safer working conditions with livestreaming bodycams through direct and continuous support
Some of the latest bodycams have livestreaming capabilities for direct and continuous support. Firefighters, paramedics, law enforcers, security guards and engineers can greatly benefit from livestreaming technology. Some initial research shows that frontline professionals are happy to use livestreaming bodycams and feel more supported by the team and organisation. It was found that livestreaming makes work better and more efficient, due to the support from senior colleagues, experts and others which resulted in quicker, better informed actions in the field.
The range of professions where livestreaming bodycams can have a positive impact on working conditions is very broad. Any job that requires outside input, collaboration at a distance, or situational awareness can be positively influenced by the addition of livestreaming bodycams. More direct support, whenever there is a need, results in higher job satisfaction for frontline professionals. With the knowledge that the entire team has their back, working conditions improve and any team, whether it is to make an arrest or repair crucial infrastructure, can collaborate with and support each other better.
