Our social post on 14 September asked a simple workplace question: who has access to your office? It is easy to focus on passwords and alarms while overlooking the keys, door codes and everyday permissions that allow people into a building. An office can contain confidential documents, equipment, personal belongings and people who expect a dependable working environment. Physical access deserves the same attention as the other arrangements protecting that environment.
Know what permission actually means
Access should have a purpose. Someone may be authorised to enter reception without being authorised to enter a records room. A contractor may need a plant area without needing desks or meeting rooms. Start by identifying which spaces are public, shared, staff-only or subject to additional controls. The aim is a usable distinction that people can explain, rather than a complicated system that colleagues quietly work around.
Shared buildings require particular clarity. A landlord, facilities team, neighbouring tenant and visiting supplier may each have a legitimate role, but their permissions should not be assumed to be identical. Establish who can authorise access and how a business is informed about planned visits. If arrangements are unclear, resolve them with the responsible parties. A disagreement at a doorway is a poor substitute for an agreed understanding made in advance.
Account for keys and credentials
Many offices accumulate access permissions over several years. Staff change roles, contractors finish jobs and spare keys pass between people. A practical review asks who currently holds each means of entry and whether that access is still appropriate. Include physical keys, cards, shared codes and any route that bypasses the usual reception process. An access list is useful only if somebody has responsibility for keeping it current.
The departure of an employee or supplier should prompt a deliberate handover. Confirm which items need returning and which permissions need changing, using the organisation’s agreed process. Avoid assuming that removing computer access also removes building access. Equally, replacing every arrangement without understanding the operational need can create unnecessary disruption. The task is to maintain an accurate picture of permission and act consistently when the reason for that permission changes.
Make the visitor journey understandable
Visitors should know where to arrive, who they are meeting and what happens next. A booking or appointment should reach the person responsible for reception or access. Unplanned arrivals need a clear verification route rather than an improvised decision made by whichever colleague happens to be nearby. Where identification, signing in or an escort is appropriate, explain the process politely and apply it according to the agreed requirement.
Deliveries and maintenance visits deserve similar attention. A uniform, branded van or familiar company name may support an introduction, but it does not replace confirmation of the task. Staff need a practical way to check with the right colleague. A welcoming business can still ask sensible questions. The best arrangements make legitimate work easier while reducing the chance that uncertainty, politeness or time pressure becomes an accidental permission to enter.
Help colleagues raise concerns safely
Employees should not feel they must confront an unfamiliar person alone. Agree who takes responsibility for checking an access concern and how colleagues can make contact. Some situations can be resolved with a courteous question; others require the duty manager or security team. Keep personal safety central to the response. The objective is to establish the facts and manage the situation, without creating a dispute or making unsupported accusations.
Record relevant access problems through the business’s normal reporting process. Distinguish what happened from what someone thinks may have happened. Repeated failures can reveal an unclear policy, a faulty door or a contractor arrangement that needs review. Keep records proportionate and restrict access to those who need them. A log should help an organisation improve its arrangements, rather than become a collection of unnecessary personal information about everyone visiting.
Test the ordinary working day
A review should include busy mornings, lunch breaks, evening cleaning and periods when reception is unattended. Ask what happens if several visitors arrive together or a colleague holds a controlled door open to be helpful. These everyday situations often reveal the gap between a written policy and actual practice. Review access with the people who use the building, so the resulting arrangements remain understandable and realistic during normal work.
The most useful improvement may be a clearer responsibility, a current key record or a better way to verify appointments. Other offices may benefit from a wider assessment or additional personnel support. Norvic can discuss the setting and help establish an appropriate starting point. Begin with a broad outline when enquiring, and keep specific vulnerabilities for a confidential conversation. Knowing who can enter, why and under whose authority provides a practical foundation.
Everyone using the workplace should understand where their own responsibility begins and ends.