Security Industry Adding Thousands of Jobs Amid Pandemic

With over 250,000 stores temporarily closed and businesses shutdown nationwide, Corporate America is staffing up guards to watch and monitor with physical presence

Allied Universal Increases Workforce; Seeks to Hire 30,000 Security Professionals Nationwide Over the Next Two Months
Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company in North America, is seeking to hire more than 30,000 security professionals and administrative staff to fill positions located throughout the nation over the next two months. In spite of the uncertainty that COVID-19 has caused, there are still many industries, such as security services, that are currently hiring to fill essential roles.

Allied Universal is offering regular and temporary, full-time and part-time opportunities, and these open positions include security professionals, client and account managers, site supervisors, and other functional roles within human resources, sales, finance and IT. aus.com

Securitas to Expand its California Workforce by 1,000
Securitas Security Services USA is adding nearly 1,000 new jobs across the state in key areas such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, Central Valley and the Inland Empire. Its current California workforce includes 15,000 security professionals.

"It is becoming increasingly common for our clients to request our assistance in supporting their own emergency management efforts, such as guarding hospitals, healthcare facilities, clinics and grocery stores," says Kimberly Carson, Pacific Region Vice President of Human Resources. "These organizations need security services assistance from our first responder security officers. For public and private safety reasons the nation needs the support of the security services industry." securitymagazine.com

How Protos Security Has Responded to the Pandemic
"Protos Security, being a Managed Service Provider, has been able to zig while Coronavirus has zagged," said Patrick Henderson, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Protos. "This meaning that as several of our routine largest clients have ramped down services due to the nature of retail, others like our grocery chain clients have ramped up significantly. Our model allows us to scale down and up simultaneously to meet the needs of our clients."

In Case You Missed It...
Read Protos Security's recent 'Spotlight on Leadership' article:
How the Coronavirus Pandemic is Impacting the Security Industry
As we all adjust to this chaotic and concerning time we have found that most of our clients are doing their best to implement a plan on how best to handle the Coronavirus Pandemic. However, because of all of the of uncertainties they also find themselves in a "wait and see" situation before key decisions are made. Because of this, we at Protos have found that shifts, number of guards, hours they work are all a bit chaotic at the moment.

We have also found that the security guard in these times is playing an even for more critical roll at our clients locations. Read More Here
 

CONTROLTEK Launches COVID-19 Response Center
CONTROLTEK a leader in retail asset protection and tamper-evident packaging launches a COVID-19 Response Center with information and resources for retail and financial institution partners to stay abreast of the latest regarding the Coronavirus situation.

“Now more than ever, the power of community, trust and quality information is so important,” said CONTROLTEK CEO, Rod Diplock. “As a business owner navigating this extreme situation, the most valuable resources have been shared to me by peers and business professionals. I want to do whatever I can to pass that along to our industry partners and customers to help them during this challenging time.”

The CONTROLTEK COVID-19 Response Center offers news updates, articles pertinent for LP professionals, cybersecurity technology tips, available business essentials and PPE equipment and helpful tools from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). controltekusa.com

ALL-TAG, a Critical Supplier to Food and Pharmacy Product Manufacturers, is Open for Business, Shipping Orders, and Fully Staffed During the COVID-19 Pandemic
ALL-TAG, an American manufacturer of RF Labels, and a leading supplier of AM Labels, RF & AM Security Tags, and other loss prevention products, is designated a critical supplier to food and pharmaceutical product manufacturers. The company is committed to remaining fully staffed during the COVID-19 pandemic. ALL-TAG is open and shipping orders of any product to any location around the world.

“We understand that many of our source tagging customers are supplying their goods to various essential grocery and pharmacy retailers, and those goods still need to be tagged” commented ALL-TAG’s Vice President of Sales, Andy Gilbert. “We will continue to deliver our RF and AM Labels to these customers in a timely fashion so that they can maintain their shipping schedules of food and pharmacy products”. prweb.com

LPRC Webinar – COVID-19: How Retail Offenders Take Advantage of Crisis Situations
The LPRC’s recent webinar “COVID-19: How Retail Offenders Take Advantage of Crisis Situations” and the webinar slide deck are now available on the LPRC COVID-19 Resources page. The LPRC explores how criminals take advantage of these situations and what you can do to protect your organization and your customers from fraud during this trying time. Learn more here.
 

Coronavirus Update: April 14

US: Over 603K Cases - 25K Dead - 38K Recovered

Worldwide: Over 1.9M Cases - 125K Dead - 465K Recovered

143 Security Officers Say They’ve Gone Without PPE During Virus Outbreak
In a recent survey of Private Officer International members and social media followers, 143 security employees currently working on the frontline said that they have not been issued PPE during the COVID-19.

Of those who responded, 27 percent were working in retail big box and specialty stores such as pharmacies, 14 percent were assigned to medical facilities including hospitals, Urgent Cares and clinics, 8 percent were working in industrial or commercial environments but still came in contact with the public, 6 percent were assigned to watching businesses that were currently closed because of local stay at home orders and the remainder of respondents stated that they worked at apartments, on patrol, general assignments and in camera surveillance positions.

More than 750 security officers have now contracted the COVID-19 virus including 309 TSA employees. As of Tuesday afternoon, 51 Security officers have died from complications of the virus and six others are currently hospitalized and listed as critical.

New York City had the highest confirmed deaths: 18. Other states reporting security officer deaths include Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, This information continues to be fluid with many areas not including the names or professions of the deceased. privateofficer.org

Grocery union asks VP Pence to help protect workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union have sent a letter asking Vice President Mike Pence to have the government provide its members with personal protective equipment (PPE). The union said that 30 of its members have died after contracting COVID-19 and that 3,000 others are currently not working as a result of being ill or having come in contact with someone who had the novel coronavirus. retailwire.com

NYPD loses 20th member to coronavirus
A New York Police Department traffic enforcement agent died as a result of Covid-19, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Sunday, bringing the number of virus-related deaths on the force to 20. The department, along with the city, has been hit hard by the coronavirus. On Saturday, 6,743 uniformed members, or more than 18% of the workforce, were out sick, the NYPD said in its daily report. Some 2,318 uniformed members and 471 civilian members had tested positive for the coronavirus, the report said. cnn.com

What Happens When Employers Violate Shelter-in-Place Orders?
Officials in some states, including California, Georgia and New York, are asking people to report businesses that are violating shelter-in-place orders.

Are You An 'Essential' Worker In the Pandemic?
Businesses are seizing on vague definitions and lax enforcement to stay open during shutdowns.

Coronavirus cases in New York top 200,000 as the outbreak appears to slow

Cuomo says New York employers must provide face masks to workers

Undercover sting targets NYC pharmacist allegedly hoarding coronavirus masks

Alabama: As COVID-19 projections decline, retailers ask for easing of restrictions

Nine U.S. States Plan Reopening of Economies After Coronavirus Shutdown
 

Retail’s COVID-19 drive-through testing is not going according to plan

Retailers are starting to open drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites
to the public for the first time. Are they ready?

On March 13, the CEOs of Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens joined President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden to reveal they would be hosting drive-thru testing in their parking lots. Only five have opened so far — three by CVS, two from Walmart and one by Rite Aid. The slow start reflects the nation’s challenges when it comes to providing testing access.

Insufficient supplies of testing components such as nasal swabs has hampered testing at hospitals, according to a late-March survey of health providers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). With outside labs overwhelmed, test results are often delayed by a week or more.

In most cases, the testing sites opened by retailers have been reserved for first responders due to the test shortages. As a result, coronavirus testing has remained largely unavailable to the masses. retailwire.com

Walmart says it will be running more than 20 coronavirus test sites in 10 states by the end of April

Rapid-Results COVID-19 Testing Is Coming to CVS and Walgreens - But There Are Still Restrictions

Rite Aid to Open Additional COVID-19 On-Site Testing Locations in Coming Weeks
 

Furloughs Surpass 1 Million With T.J. Maxx Adding to Retail Toll
Employee furloughs in the retail industry are now well over 1 million after the owner of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, one of America’s biggest clothing store chains, suspended its store workers. TJX Companies Inc. said last week that it would furlough the majority of its U.S. workforce at stores and distribution centers. It employs about 286,000 people worldwide, with most based in the U.S.

Retailers across the country stopped issuing paychecks en masse over the past two weeks after shutting down their stores in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. Several of America’s largest retail employers, including Macy’s Inc., Kohl’s Corp., Gap Inc., Ross Stores Inc. and Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands Inc., have made the move to save on labor costs and conserve cash while stores remain closed.

More than 200,000 stores have temporarily closed, according to research firm GlobalData Retail, as Americans obey stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the virus. Re-opening dates have been pushed back as the outbreak worsened. bloomberg.com

New Retail Layoffs & Furloughs:

At Home furloughs 30% of corporate staff

Burlington furloughs 'most' store & distribution center employees

H&M furloughs "some members" of U.S. workforce

Purple furloughs 35% of its permanent workforce

Ulta furloughs "many" of its store & salon associates
 

Global Trade Sputters, Leaving Too Much Here, Too Little There
The spread of the coronavirus has disrupted global supply chains, leading to shortages and price increases that are cascading from factories to ports to retail stores to consumers. While factories in China have been slowly restarting as the country’s epidemic fades, many manufacturers in India, the United States and Europe are powering down, or running at partial capacity.

These disruptions in global trade could grow more noticeable in the months to come, as consumers hoard products and countries clamp down on exports of medical supplies and even food. Shoppers may see more shortages of unexpected products, including laptops, toilet paper and medicines. Some companies could find themselves lacking raw materials and components, a recipe for further financial trouble.

In the longer run, supply chain experts say, the crisis may lead to restructuring — where apparel, electronics and pharmaceutical companies rethink their supply chains to make sure they are globally diversified, and less dependent solely on one location, like China.

“Right now, companies are trying to figure out if they’re going to be in business in the next couple months,” said Jon Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. “They are completely re-evaluating how supply chains are going to work, what consumer confidence is going to be and what consumers are buying.” nytimes.com

Retail sales expected to plunge amid coronavirus pandemic
March retail sales data released Wednesday morning will peel back the curtain on the health of the U.S. consumer amid the coronavirus pandemic. Consensus expectations are for a steep drop during the month due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. Headline retail sales are expected to have plunged 8% during the month, down from a 0.5% decline in February, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Core retail sales, excluding the volatile autos and gas components, are estimated to have fallen 5.2%, down from a 0.2% dip in February.

Within core components, it is expected that spending online and at grocery stores will largely offset the steep decline in spending at other retailers such as malls and furniture, sporting goods and electronics stores. finance.yahoo.com

COVID-19 will both complicate and accelerate retail bankruptcies
Some retail Chapter 11s are on pause, with store liquidations effectively impossible.
But a "wave" of bankruptcies is coming, experts say.

True Religion Files For Bankruptcy - Again - As Coronavirus Hobbles Retail Industry

U.S. Restaurant Transaction Declines May Have Bottomed Out At -41% in Week Ending April 5

Hotels and retailers not paying rent due to the coronavirus pandemic spikes in April

Amazon hires 100K, opens 75K additional roles as COVID-19 surges demand

Burlington Stores exec team slashes pay 50 percent; CEO taking no salary

Discarded gloves, crowded aisles: Major grocery worker union urges US shoppers to wear masks, change how they shop during the pandemic

Menards no longer allowing kids under 16, pets inside its stores due to COVID-19

Southeastern Grocers surprises thousands of frontline heroes with a $0 grocery total
 

McDonald's faces class action over 'pervasive sexual harassment'
McDonald’s Corp has been hit with a class action lawsuit accusing it of subjecting female employees in its corporate-owned fast-food restaurants in Florida to widespread sexual harassment.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in federal court in Chicago, says the company fostered a climate of “severe or pervasive sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, including groping, physical assaults, and sexually-charged verbal comments.”

McDonald’s said in a statement that it was committed to ensuring workers were not subject to sexual harassment. “The plaintiffs’ allegations of harassment and retaliation were investigated as soon as they were brought to our attention, and we will likewise investigate the new allegations that they have raised in their complaint,” it said.

The plaintiffs, McDonald’s employee Jamelia Fairley and former employee Ashley Reddick, are seeking to represent a class of female employees of Florida’s more than 100 corporate-owned, non-franchise McDonald’s locations. They are asking for $500 million in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages. reuters.com

Will the open office die following COVID-19 pandemic?
The new normal of work exiting the COVID-19 pandemic may mean the much ballyhooed open office won't be up to snuff. Here are 4 reasons why COVID-19 may nix the open office:

1. Your company may be over offices (and not just the open ones). The great work from home experiment scaled dramatically in the COVID-19 pandemic. Guess what's better than the cost per square foot in an open office? Not having an office at all. CFOs are already pondering what percentage of employees could work from home on a more permanent basis.

2. Open floorplans may not seem safe in the new normal. Those bullpen desks mean you're about two feet from about four people. You may miss your coworkers, but you're not going to want to be too close in a post-COVID-19 world.

3. Collaboration depends more on technology than proximity. Yes, some teams benefit from open office floor plans, but many did just as well without one. The productivity returns on open offices are spotty at best. There's a much easier business case for video conferencing systems.

4. Open offices kept human resources too busy. I can't necessarily quantify this, but there is anecdotal evidence that open office floorplans led to more politics, middle school-ish behavior, and annoyances. If you caught an HR person in a weak moment, they may note that complaints fell as soon as employees evacuated from open offices. zdnet.com

LiveView Technologies Announced as Newest Loss Prevention Foundation Partner
The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) announced that LiveView Technologies is supporting the LPF by becoming the most recent Bachelor level partner. The Bachelor level partnership secures LPC and LPQ certification course scholarships and complimentary LPF memberships for LiveView to distribute to those in the loss prevention industry. Headquartered in Orem, UT, LiveView Technologies is an Enterprise Cloud Software vendor providing a Platform-as-a-Service Cloud solution for remote video and analytic data gathering, processing, and delivery. LiveView Technologies turns video and data into intelligence that enables the customer to make informed decisions. yourlpf.org
 

These robot-powered warehouses could save grocers,
But first they need to survive the coronavirus pandemic

British online supermarket Ocado built a buzzy business around helping supermarkets survive online. The COVID-19 crisis has become its trial by fire.

The robots are mesmerizing. Inside a warehouse in Erith, on the outskirts of East London, more than a thousand of them glide across a vast steel and aluminum grid. Each is the size and shape of an office copy machine, topped with stubby antennae and a shining neon-green LED.

This warehouse, or customer fulfillment center (CFC), as logistics pros call it, is one of the most sophisticated and automated on the planet, one that can handle many tens of thousands of orders a week. It belongs to Ocado, a pioneering British online grocer that is positioning itself as a white knight for the beleaguered grocery sector - and possibly other industries too - offering to help supermarket chains compete in an automated age.

Ocado’s robot-powered warehouses thrum with activity on ordinary days; since the coronavirus crisis erupted, they’ve been in roaring overdrive. The pandemic has given the company a chance to prove it can keep an online grocery business humming, even when its human workforce faces unprecedented strain. fortune.com

Over 500,000 Zoom accounts sold on hacker forums, the dark web
Hacked Zoom accounts have become merchandise that's sold en masse on the dark web and through hacker forums, a new report claims. According to BleepingComputer, which spoke to cybersecurity company Cyble, there are currently over 500,000 Zoom account credentials being sold, and while most of them seem to stem from earlier, unrelated hacks, some of them are genuine.

Cyble's experts noticed the influx of Zoom accounts for sale on April 1, and were able to purchase 530,000 of them at a bulk price of $0.002 per account. Some accounts, the report claims, are even being shared for free.

These credentials include a Zoom user's email address, password, personal meeting URL, and their host key — a six-digit pin tied to the owner's Zoom account, which is used to claim host controls for a meeting. And some of these account details belong to high-profile companies including Chase and Citybank, according to Cyble, which checked the veracity of the accounts belonging to some of their clients and confirmed they were valid. mashable.com

Network Data Shows Spikes, Vulnerability of Work-at-Home Shift
As social-distancing mandates forced employees to work from home, bandwidth consumption and potential security weaknesses have risen, according to data from network providers and network-intelligence firms.

Traffic on the public Internet jumped by half since the beginning of the year, as employees moved to remote work, with videoconferencing seeing the greatest increase — 500% — according to Kentik, a provider of machine-learning-based network operations. Overall, the week-to-week growth in bandwidth consumption matched the month-to-month growth seen last year, says Avi Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Kentik. darkreading.com

71% of Security Pros See Threats Jump Since COVID-19 Outbreak
Phishing is the top threat, followed by websites offering false information about the pandemic, malware, and ransomware attacks.

Biometrics analyst says outbreak marks death of most of touch-based fingerprint reader market

Cybercrime May Be the World's Third-Largest Economy by 2021