How to prepare for lone working during holiday periods

Holiday periods, including bank holidays, summer holidays and Christmas are often times of increased demand, reduced staffing, and shifting responsibilities within businesses. Whether you're in retail, logistics, healthcare, facilities management, or utilities, managing lone workers during this time is a critical safety and operational consideration.

Lone workers—those who perform tasks in isolation without close or direct supervision—may be especially vulnerable during the holidays due to changes in staffing levels, emergency protocols, and managerial availability. Here's how businesses can prepare to ensure lone workers remain safe, supported, and productive during these critical periods:

1. Understand how staffing levels change during the holidays

Holiday seasons often see:

• Reduced staffing due to employee annual leave.

• Increased demand in industries like retail, hospitality, and logistics.

• Temporary workers brought in to fill gaps—many of whom may be unfamiliar with lone working policies and safety procedures.

This can result in employees working alone more frequently, working outside normal hours, or being assigned tasks which are unfamiliar to them. Businesses must recognise these changes early and plan accordingly.

Action Point: Conduct a pre-holiday staffing audit. Identify where and when lone working is likely to increase and adjust schedules, training, and risk assessments accordingly.

2. Revisit and update emergency response procedures

Lone workers are particularly vulnerable in emergencies—accidents, medical incidents, or security threats—especially when fewer staff are around to notice or respond. Holiday periods may disrupt usual emergency protocols due to:

• Fewer colleagues around to assist in an emergency
  
  

• Fewer first-aiders or fire marshals on-site.

• Changes in shift patterns and shift supervisors

• Changes to contact personnel (who should be contacted, and in what order, in an emergency)

• Changes to opening hours
  
  

• Slower external emergency response due to public holidays or increased call volumes.

Action Point: Review your emergency response procedures specifically for lone working scenarios. Ensure lone workers know:

• Who to contact in an emergency.

• Where to find first aid or emergency equipment.

• What procedures to follow when help may be delayed.

Where possible, use lone worker safety devices or apps that allow for real-time check-ins, SOS alerts, and GPS tracking. These usually have the option to contact an alarm receiving centre (ARC) in the event of an emergency. Even if you don't normally use this, it can be a good option during holiday times when managers and supervisors are on annual leave and an internal response would not be as reliable. 

3. Train and equip lone workers for self-reliance

During holiday times lone workers may have to solve problems or respond to incidents with minimal support. Their preparedness is key.

Training should include:

• Recognising and reporting risks.

• Operating communications or safety technology effectively.

• Understanding procedures for escalations and incident logging.

• Mental health awareness, as isolation can have an even bigger impact during holiday periods.

Action Point: Hold seasonal refresher training or briefing for all lone workers—permanent and temporary. Make sure training is tailored to the unique conditions of holiday shifts (e.g, night shifts, fewer workers, colder or warmer weather).

4. Hold management planning meetings specifically for holiday periods 

Management plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and efficiency during holiday periods. Holding management planning meetings specifically for holiday periods ensures no stone is unturned when it comes to lone worker safety. Key considerations and actions for these meetings should include:

• Risk assessments: Update lone worker risk assessments to reflect seasonal changes in work patterns, environment, and personnel.
  
  

• Proactive shift planning: Ensure shift patterns and lone worker roles are accounted for in scheduling well in advance.

• Communication: Think about how you will maintain open, accessible communication channels. Consider assigning a "holiday duty manager" available at all times for lone worker support.

• Technology use: Invest in lone worker safety tech systems to bridge gaps in supervision, or if you already have a lone worker solution in place, ensure you have enough devices for all lone workers, and that any new or temporary workers have been allocated one. 

Action Point: Appoint a management lead responsible for lone worker safety during the holidays. They should coordinate with HR, operations, and safety teams to ensure all bases are covered.

5. Check-in and follow-up

Lone workers should never feel forgotten. During the holidays, regular check-ins—whether digital or in-person—should be more than just protocol; they’re a sign of support. Regardless of whether there are any specific incidents or accidents, it's important that lone workers feel supported as this reduces feelings of isolation and stress which can impact their mental wellbeing, motivation and productivity. 

Action Point: Implement a clear check-in/check-out process for lone workers. (A lone worker solution is ideal for this, in addition to regular 1 to 1 catch-ups over the phone, video call or in-person). Ensure that someone is always accountable for responding if a worker fails to check-in on time.

How LONEALERT supports organisations during holiday time

At LONEALERT we always put our customers first and are here to support you at any time, including when planning for holiday periods. The OWL Portal (LONEALERT's management system) is flexible and so you are able to make the following changes during holiday times if you need to:

• the order, people or rota in your escalation procedure (who will be contacted in an emergency and in what order). 
• add new or temporary lone workers*

If you are unsure how to do this, call us on 0330 999 8484 or email support@lonelalert.co.uk and one of our team will assist you. 

We can also provide top-up or refresher training when you are planning for holidays. This can be beneficial, particularly if you have new or temporary lone workers who may not be used to using a lone worker alarm. 

Safety during the holidays 

In summary, holiday periods should not compromise the safety or wellbeing of lone workers. Even if there is less to do in your business during holiday times that doesn't mean there's less to think about when it comes to safety - in fact, there's often even more to think about! With proactive planning, effective communication, and the right tools in place, businesses can maintain productivity while ensuring all staff—lone or otherwise—feel protected and supported.

Start planning early. The best time to prepare for lone working during the holidays is before the holiday season begins.

*may be at an additional cost